Advanced Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and ...

Appendix B
CURRENT JOINT COMMISSION
REQUIREMENTS
SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, CULTURAL
COMPETENCE, AND PATIENT- AND FAMILY-CENTERED CARE
Joint Commission standards have supported the provision of
care, treatment, and services in a manner that is sensitive and
responsive to individual patient needs for many years.
Recognition of the role patients and their families play in
patient safety promotes practices that increase patients’ and
families’ ability to actively engage in their care. Since care
spans a broad continuum and involves a complex interplay of
both individual and system behaviors, the standards that
support effective communication, cultural competence, and
patient- and family-centered care are found throughout the
Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH).
This appendix presents these existing standards and elements
of performance (EPs) with brief notes about how they relate
to and support effective communication, cultural competence,
and patient- and family-centered care. Appendix C (page 57)
presents new Joint Commission standards for patientcentered
communication.
Standards from the following CAMH chapters are included in
this appendix:
• Environment of Care (EC)
• Emergency Management (EM)
• Human Resources (HR)
• Leadership (LD)
• Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services (PC)
• Rights and Responsibilities of the
Individual (RI)
• Transplant Safety (TS)
The standards are up-to-date as of April 2010. For full text of
these standards, please refer to the CAMH.
Not all scenarios can be considered or covered in a brief
appendix; in some cases we refer to other sections of the
Roadmap for Hospitals that provide detailed examples and
guidance for addressing a specific issue.
Environment of Care (EC)
The Joint Commission EC standards primarily address the
physical safety of the environment for patients, staff, and
visitors. However, the chapter also recognizes that the physical
environment needs to support patient privacy, dignity, and
foster ease of interaction (see box, below). EC standards also
support an environment that is compliant with the Americans
with Disabilities Act, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulations, and other environmental
safety codes.
Joint Commission EC Requirements
EC.02.06.01 The hospital establishes and
maintains a safe, functional environment.
Note: The environment is constructed, arranged, and
maintained to foster patient safety, provide facilities for
diagnosis and treatment, and provide for special services
appropriate to the needs of the community.
EP 1 Interior spaces meet the needs of the patient
population and are safe and suitable to the care,
treatment, and services provided.
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