The Joint Commission on Monday announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence certification program that provides a blueprint for responsible AI implementation in health care, touting it as a “first of its kind.”
According to the Joint Commission, the Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare (RUAIH) certification is a voluntary program for organizations focused on the “safe, reliable, transparent, and ethical use” of technology. This program does not validate or certify individual products or tools.
Certification standards are focused on five areas:
- governance
- Effective data management
- Risk and bias reduction
- Monitoring, evaluation, and verification of safety performance, effectiveness, and responsible use
- Transparency, education and training
Any healthcare organization can apply for certification, and interested organizations do not need to be accredited by the Joint Commission.
Jonathan Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of the Joint Commission, said in a statement that as the use of AI in healthcare increases, “the need for universal standards for AI implementation is rapidly increasing.”
“AI has the potential to drive discoveries and improve quality, safety, and operational efficiency,” Perlin said. “With this new certification, The Joint Commission provides healthcare organizations with a blueprint for using AI safely and appropriately.”
The certification program comes just days after the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) released a series of detailed handbooks aimed at providing health systems with practical guidance and baseline governance controls for deploying AI across their organizations.
According to CHAI, each handbook includes recommended implementation guidance, tools, resources, and examples for healthcare organizations to integrate into their existing processes. The Handbook provides a framework for achieving certification in the Joint Commission’s programs.
In September, the Joint Commission and CHAI partnered on the RUAIH guidance document, which outlines key principles of organizational management for the use of AI in health systems. This follows the announcement of a partnership between the two organizations in June.
CHAI CEO Dr. Brian Anderson said in a statement that CHAI “commends” the new certification program.
“The Joint Commission certification and CHAI’s recently published governance strategy are closely aligned regarding the need for responsible and transparent AI in healthcare,” Anderson said. “We believe this collaboration will significantly reduce confusion and facilitate the rapid and responsible adoption of AI in healthcare.”
