Beginning Aug. 27, The Joint Commission will eliminate the licensed independent practitioner term for its Ambulatory Health Care and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs.
The revisions are consistent with current terminology used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) and better reflects the full scope of practice of licensed practitioners allowed by their license and permitted by state and federal law and regulation while keeping the intent of the requirement.
As a result of these revisions, The Joint Commission also has added, updated, and deleted the following glossary terms:
- Staff (revised)
- Clinical staff (revised)
- Practitioner (replaced with the term licensed practitioner)
- Licensed independent practitioner (deleted)
- Provider (new)
In addition, The Joint Commission made minor editorial changes to other glossary definitions where these terms are used, and elements of performance (EPs) were streamlined by eliminating the detailed lists of individuals to whom the EPs apply. These changes are further detailed in the May 2023 issue of Perspectives.
The prepublication standards for those revisions will be posted to The Joint Commission’s website in late June after a review to determine if any of the AHC or OBS requirements that are above and beyond CMS’ Conditions of Participation can be deleted as part of the standards reduction initiative.
View the prepublication standards for the glossary term revisions. Questions may be directed to the Department of Standards and Survey Methods.
The Joint Commission is proposing new Infection Control (IC) requirements on preparedness for high-consequence diseases or special pathogens, which will replace the current standard IC.01.06.01 on preparing for an influx of potentially infectious patients. We are seeking input from the field on the new requirements.
The primary goal of these new requirements — for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals — is to align the standards and elements of performance (EPs) more closely with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Conditions of Participation and to streamline the chapter to be more cohesive and concise. They are based on the available guidance documents (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center) and recommendations from The Joint Commission’s technical advisory panel on emerging infectious disease preparedness.
Comment now on the proposed requirements. Feedback will be accepted until July 5.
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