History of The Joint Commission’s Pain Standards

In 2000, as part of a national effort to address the widespread problem of underassessment and undertreatment of pain, The Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations JCAHO) introduced standards for organizations to improve care for patients with pain (eAppendix in the Supplement). After initial positive responses and small studies showing the benefits of following the standards, reports emerged about adverse events from overly aggressive treatment of pain. A 2002 report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) asked, “In our noble efforts to alleviate pain, has safety been compromised?”1 In response, the standards and related materials were changed to address the problems.