Health Care Equity Standard Elevated to National Patient Safety Goal

Effective July 1, 2023, Standard LD.04.03.08, which addresses health care disparities as a quality and safety priority, will be elevated to a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG), Goal 16: Improve health care equity, and moved to NPSG.16.01.01. As with the original requirement, NPSG.16.01.01 will apply to the following Joint Commission–accredited organizations:

• All critical access hospitals and hospitals
• Ambulatory health care organizations providing primary care within the “Medical Centers” service in the ambulatory health care program
• Behavioral health care and human services organizations providing “Addictions Services,” “Eating Disorders Treatment,” “Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Delays,” “Mental Health Services,” and “Primary Physical Health Care” services.

The new NPSG increases the focus on improving health care equity as a quality and safety priority, but the requirements for accredited organizations are not changing. While the original language of the requirements was revised to focus on improving health care equity rather than reducing health care disparities, the intent behind the standard and associated elements of performance remains the same.

Prepublication Standards:

• Ambulatory Health Care
• Behavioral Health Care and Human Services
• Critical Access Hospital
• Hospital