The Joint Commission Changes Healthcare Equity Standard to National Patient Safety Goal

On Jan. 10, The Joint Commission announced via a press release that it is elevating Leadership (LD) Standard LD.04.03.08—which addresses healthcare disparities as a quality and safety priority—to a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG). The change will take effect for all critical access hospitals and hospitals, certain ambulatory care organizations and behavioral healthcare and human services organizations that provide particular services on July 1.

The press release says that the current requirements for Joint Commission-accredited organizations will not be changing and the intent behind the standard and elements of performance will not change. Yet, they will now be stated as NPSG Goal 16 because the goal of NPSGs is to improve patient safety by focusing on problems in healthcare and specific actions to prevent and solve those problems.

Current requirements for Joint Commission-accredited organizations will not change. The intent behind the standard and associated elements of performance will remain the same; however, they will now be stated as NPSG Goal 16. The purpose of NPSGs is to improve patient safety, focusing on significant problems in healthcare and specific actions to prevent and solve them.

The press release says that “Accredited health care organizations will still be required to:

• Identify an individual to lead activities to improve healthcare equity.
• Assess patients’ health-related social needs.
• Analyze quality and safety data to identify disparities.
• Develop an action plan to improve healthcare equity.
• Act when the organization does not meet the goals in its action plan.
• Inform key stakeholders about progress to improve healthcare equity.”

Jonathan B. Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of The Joint Commission was quoted in the release saying that “The new National Patient Safety Goal will help increase the focus on improving healthcare equity, a global patient safety priority. Everyone needs a chance for safe, equitable and meaningful care. As such, equity must be the foundation for safety and quality in healthcare. By elevating the existing standard to a National Patient Safety Goal, we are emphasizing the importance for health care organizations to ensure oversight and accountability for healthcare equity.”

Once NPSG Goal 16 is implemented, Standard LD.04.03.08 will be deleted.