The framework is the first step in a plan to develop governance playbooks and a voluntary AI certification program for US health systems.
The Joint Commission and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) have released initial guidance for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, aiming to create an internal governance framework for US health systems implementing AI technologies. This document is the first product to emerge from a strategic partnership the organizations launched in June 2025.
The guidance features high-level recommendations intended to be adaptable for healthcare organizations regardless of their current stage of AI adoption. It establishes a need for policies covering appropriate local validation, monitoring, and use of AI, which can be integrated into new or existing processes. The organizations state that community feedback on this initial guidance will be incorporated into future work.
“We understand how quickly AI is changing healthcare—and at a scale I’ve never seen in my time as a leader,” says Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Joint Commission, in a release. “From the moment we announced our partnership with CHAI, we knew we wanted our partnership to reflect that fast-paced dynamic, while still delivering a thoughtful and streamlined guidance for healthcare organizations to self-govern with AI.”
The collaboration is designed to help facilities keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI technology.
“The need is immediate, and we are eager to respond,” says Dr Brian Anderson, CEO of CHAI, in a release. “This guidance and all subsequent playbooks are about keeping pace with the evolving field, not just by defining responsible AI, but by making it usable in hospitals and health systems across the country —no matter their resource level.”
The organizations plan to launch a series of related products later this year and into 2026. The next step involves conducting workshops with hospitals and health systems to develop more detailed governance playbooks based on the initial guidance and community feedback. Following the release of the final playbooks, The Joint Commission will develop a voluntary AI certification program, which will be available to the more than 22,000 healthcare organizations it accredits and certifies nationwide.
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