The Joint Commission To Develop Hospital Standards For Culturally Competent Patient-Centered Care, USA

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 27 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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A new grant from The Commonwealth Fund will be used by The Joint Commission to revise and develop accreditation standards for culturally competent patient-centered carein hospitals across America.

This standards development initiative builds upon The Joint Commission's ongoing Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation study that examines how hospitals in the United States respond to the diverse cultural and language needs of their patients. The Institute of Medicine's "Crossing the Quality Chasm" report identified patient-centered and equitable care as important elements of quality. However, The Joint Commission study found that practices used to promote effective communication and cultural competence - critical elements of patient-centered and equitable care - vary widely from hospital to hospital.

"Hospitals face many challenges in caring for a rapidly changing patient population," says Paul M. Schyve, M.D., senior vice president, The Joint Commission. "Sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural and language needs impact the quality of care, patient safety, and patient and family satisfaction. This Commonwealth Fund-supported initiative will provide a firm foundation for standards that foster culturally competent patient-centered care."

The Joint Commission initiative will explore how diversity, culture, language, and health literacy issues can be better incorporated into current Joint Commission standards or drafted into new requirements. The standards development process will, as is customary, include a review by interested parties in health care and the public. The Joint Commission will collaborate with The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) to develop an implementation guide to prepare Joint Commission surveyors and accredited hospitals for the release of these new standards, targeted to take effect in 2011.

As part of the project, The Joint Commission is seeking nominations for an Expert Advisory Panel that will review available evidence-based practices and identify principles that can be the basis for new and revised standards. The panel will consist of members who reflect a broad range of stakeholders, including consumers, researchers, purchasers, administrators, quality improvement organizations, clinicians, educators and others. To be considered for appointment to the panel, please complete the electronic nomination form available at http://www.jointcommission.org/patientsafety/hlc. Self-nominations are welcome.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,300 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

The Joint Commission