Core privileging and The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission doesn’t specify which type of privileging a facility must use. Instead, the commission’s language indicates that core privileges must:

• Define specific activities, procedures, and privileges to be included in the core terminology, as well as those to be designated as non-core
• Reflect only activities or procedures performed at the organization
• Specify activities the organization believes a majority of applicants should be able to perform

The organization must evaluate each applicant’s education, training, and current competence to perform each procedure or activity listed in the core privileges, as well as any privileges that are requested/granted outside the core. Each applicant’s education, training, and current competence to perform each specific activity are evaluated with the same expectations regardless of the privilege approach in use.

Source: The Medical Staff Office Manual: Tools and Techniques for Success