The Joint Commission supports the use of standard face masks and respirators brought from home when personal protective equipment is unavailable to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In making its decision, the Joint Commission acknowledged that hospitals must reserve PPE for staff performing high-risk procedures. The Joint Commission also recognized that none of its standards prohibit the use of PPE from home, though the degree of protection privately owned masks and respirators offer is not known.
Homemade masks are an extreme measure and should only be used in the absence of standard PPE, the Joint Commission concluded.
Following the Joint Commission, the American Medical Association also backed the use of PPE brought from home, according to a March 31 news release.