Ask the expert: Where is Joint Commission standard MS.01.01.01 EP 20?

In last week’s “Tip of the week,” Joseph Cooper, MD, a consultant with The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc. in Marblehead, MA, recommended that medical staffs remove their history and physical examination (H&P) requirements language from the rules and regulations and place them in the bylaws to comply with Joint Commission standard MS.01.01.01 EP 20. Several readers responded wondering where they could locate EP 20.

The Joint Commission updated its standards and EPs in January to comply with CMS language, and these updates include the addition of MS.01.01.01 EPs 20 and 21. Check out “Joint Commission updates standards to comply with CMS regulations” in the March issue of Medical Staff Briefing to learn more.

MS.01.01.01 EP 20 states that the medical staff bylaws should include the requirements for completing and documenting medical H&Ps and that H&Ps are completed and documented by a physician, an oromaxillofacial surgeon, or other qualified licensed individual.

Visit the Joint Commission’s Web site to download the updates.