Report a Hospital Safety Violation to the Joint Commission

The Joint Commission is an independent accrediting organization that certifies hospitals and other medical facilities. A hospital does not have to be accredited by the Joint Commission to be in business. However, Joint Commission accreditation is a useful marketing tool, and losing accreditation is very serious.

If a hospital endangers a patient’s safety or violates their rights, the Joint Commission may consider that fact when evaluating accreditation. The organization investigates every complaint it receives, but does not publish a public list of complaints.

how to report a hospital to the joint commission

Anyone can complain about a hospital, as long as they witnessed or have knowledge of the incident in question. Report a safety or other violation using this online form. Once your complaint is accepted, you’ll receive a Safety Event Number that can be used to track your complaint.

If you need to update your complaint, you can do so using this form.

tips for an effective complaint

As with any complaint, the key to being effective is to be succinct and stick to the facts. if you have evidence supporting your claim, be sure to note this and submit it directly to the Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission is primarily concerned with patient safety. So highlight safety issues first. Some examples of complaints the Joint Commission may be interested in include:

• being coerced into a medical procedure absent medical evidence

• failure to provide treatment to a person in labor

• safety incidents such as receiving the wrong medication

The Joint Commission will not disclose your name to the hospital or provider without your permission.