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Topics Covered in this section:

• Links to external Joint Commission resources, such as Requirements, Timelines, & Specifications

• Abbreviations / Glossary

• Where to ask questions (ORYX, Specifications, DDSP, Standards, General)

ADC: Average Daily Census

ALC: Assisted Living Community

BAA: Business Associate Agreement

CAM: Chart-abstracted measure

CAH: Critical Access Hospital

CCN: CMS Certification Number

CMIP: Certification Measurement Information Process

CMS: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CQL: Clinical Quality Language
CY: Calendar Year

DDSP: Direct Data Submission Platform

eAPP: Electronic Application General (within an Organization’s Joint Commission Connect site)

eCQM: electronic Clinical Quality Measure

ECR: Extenuating Circumstance Request

ED: Emergency Department

EHR: Electronic Health Record

EULA: End User License Agreement

HAP: Hospital Accreditation Program

HCO: Healthcare Organization

HIQR: Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program (CMS)

ORYX: Joint Commission specific Performance Measurement program

PC: Perinatal Care

PMR: Performance Measure Report

QRDA: Quality Reporting Data Architecture

TJC: The Joint Commission

ToS: Terms of Service

• ORYX

• Specifications

• DDSP

• Standards

• General

ORYX Performance Measurement: This topic includes ORYX policy questions, applicable measures, issues accessing the DDSP.

Please submit your question for ORYX and Performance Measurement related processes via email to  hcooryx@jointcommission.org  – (e.g., Topics related to ORYX measure requirements, extenuating circumstance requests, newly accredited organizations with ORYX requirements, new access to the Direct Data Submission Platform).

Measure Interpretation: This topic includes measure questions related to measure interpretation, patient data outliers, etc.

Please submit your question to the Wiki site: https://manual.jointcommission.org/ . This insures that your question is directed to the appropriate clinical lead for the measures and additionally allows us to track queries and response time. If the user does not have a wiki login, there is an option to register after the user clicks on the “log on” icon. Once the user has a wiki login they can submit clinical questions re: chart-abstracted measures.

Direct Data Submission Platform:

All platform specific questions should be submitted via the DDSP “Need Help?” icon. This allows us to route inquiries to the appropriate technical staff to assist you.

Log in to the DDSP: https://www.jointcommission.org/login/

Submitting questions/issues/suggestions regarding the DDSP as a support ticket also helps us identify issue areas and opportunities for improvement.

Standards Interpretation Group:

Please go to http://www.jointcommission.org

Scroll down the home page to the section that says Connect With Us.

Click on the words “Ask a Standards Question”.  

(For a SAFETY concern or COMPLAINT, click the icon Report a Safety Event.)

Please check if your question is already answered in the FAQ’s, that is the fastest way to find your answer. If you do not see your question in the FAQs, AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE, click on Standards Interpretations Group (SIG).

 Here is where you can see if your question has already been answered, it’s just below the section “Answering Your Questions About Our Standards:

Scroll down to the “Ask a standards interpretation question” button to get the form to submit a question:

This will be the form you see.  After you submit, you’ll get a web ticket number and a time frame for your response.

General Inquiries: 

If you are uncertain where to direct your question or have a general inquiry not related to the above topics, you may contact your Account Executive indicated in your Joint Commission Connect site or submit a general question via our website: https://www.jointcommission.org/contact-us/

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