Licensed independent practitioner term eliminated for AHC, OBS programs
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.