The Joint Commission has updated its FAQ on texting orders. The revision is applicable to the Ambulatory Health Care, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Home Care, Hospital, Nursing Care Centers, and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs, and evidences a change in the agency’s policy regarding texting orders.
Q. What is The Joint Commission’s position on texting orders?
A. Licensed independent practitioners or other practitioners in accordance with professional standards of practice, law and regulation, and policies and procedures may text orders as long as a secure text messaging platform is used and the required components of an order are included.
Health care organizations may allow orders to be transmitted through text messaging provided that a secure text messaging platform is implemented that includes the following:
- Secure sign-on process
- Encrypted messaging
- Delivery and read receipts
- Date and time stamp
- Customized message retention time frames
- Specified contact list for individuals authorized to receive and record orders
Organizations allowing text orders are expected to comply with Medication Management (MM) Standard MM.04.01.01, which addresses the required elements of a complete medication order and actions to take when orders are incomplete or unclear. Policies and procedures for text orders should specify how orders transmitted via text messaging will be dated, timed, confirmed, and authenticated by the ordering practitioner.
Additionally, organizations need to consider how text orders will be documented in the patient’s medical record (that is, does the secure text messaging platform integrate directly with the electronic health record? Or will the texted order be entered manually?). The Joint Commission requirements addressing verbal orders (Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services [PC] Standard PC.02.01.03 and Record of Care, Treatment, and Services [RC] Standard RC.02.03.07) outline several issues that may be adapted into the policies and procedures for text orders.
The updated FAQ is available on The Joint Commission website, and supersedes the previous FAQ published in April 2015.
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