Effective communication is necessary for patient safety. For many individuals, effective communication can be inhibited by language, culture, hearing or visual impairment, health literacy, cognitive impairments, and disease or disability. In addition, racial and ethnic health disparities are linked to poorer health outcomes and lower quality care. As the diversity of our nation continues to grow, there is an identifiable need to provide hospitals with more robust guidance to address the needs of the population(s) they serve.
The Joint Commission is proposing accreditation requirements to help hospitals better address effective communication, cultural competence, and patient-centered care. Although many aspects of effective communication, cultural competence, and patient-centered care are currently supported by existing requirements, the proposed requirements have the potential to further improve the safety and quality of care for all patients. At the earliest, any implementation of the proposed requirements would occur in January 2011.
The following questionnaire is designed to obtain feedback and guidance regarding the value of the proposed requirements and the ability of the field to implement the requirements. Before providing comment, please download and print the documents listed below.*
*These documents require Adobe Reader.
Proposed Requirements
The following document presents the proposed standards and elements of performance (EPs) to advance effective communication, cultural competence, and patient-centered care for the Hospital Accreditation Program.
Additional Resources
The following documents are provided to help with reviewing the proposed requirements to advance effective communication, cultural competence, and patient-centered care.
Provide Feedback
You can submit your feedback on the proposed requirements in one of the following ways:
- Submit your feedback via the online survey
- Submit your feedback via e-mail
- Submit your feedback via mail
Comments on the Proposed Requirements to Advance Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient-Centered Care for the Hospital Accreditation Program will be gathered for 6 weeks beginning on June 8, 2009.
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact Christina Cordero at (630) 792-5845 or ccordero@jointcommission.org.