JCI Accreditation and Outpatient Surgery: A Scoping Review of Evidence on Healthcare Quality, Risk Management, and Policy

<jats:p>Background: The global healthcare landscape is being increasingly shaped by two pivotal trends: the adoption of international quality frameworks, such as Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, and the strategic shift towards resource-efficient models like outpatient surgery. While both areas have been extensively addressed in the healthcare literature, empirical evidence concerning their intersection remains limited. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the available literature, identify critical evidence gaps at the intersection of JCI accreditation and outpatient surgery, and examine implications for healthcare risk management and policy development. Methods: The scoping review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A dual-track evidence-mapping strategy was implemented across seven electronic databases and platforms (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, eLIBRARY.ru, CyberLeninka, and Google Scholar) to search for publications published between January 2000 and May 2026. The final database searches were conducted on 15 May 2026. Data extraction was centered on study design, interventions, and key findings related to quality and risk management. Results: A total of 80 publications were included. The evidence comprised two complementary streams: literature concerning JCI accreditation and healthcare quality and safety, predominantly in hospital and general healthcare settings, and literature concerning outpatient, ambulatory, and day-surgery quality, safety, and hospital-substituting technologies. No empirical study directly evaluating the implementation or impact of JCI accreditation within outpatient surgery centers was identified. Conclusions: This scoping review identified a critical empirical evidence gap concerning the integration of accreditation and quality and risk-management frameworks in outpatient surgical settings. A hypothesis-generating conceptual framework is proposed to guide future empirical research evaluating whether and how JCI accreditation influences quality, safety, organizational, and economic outcomes in outpatient surgical settings.</jats:p>