The Joint Commission: New R3 Report on reducing healthcare disparities

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission on June 22 announced a new “R3 Report—Issue 36: New Requirements to Reduce Health Care Disparities,” which examines the rationale and references behind new and revised requirements to reduce healthcare disparities in accredited organizations, effective January 1, 2023.

Among the new and revised requirements:

• A new standard in the Leadership chapter with six new elements of performance that address healthcare disparities as a quality and safety priority.
• A revision to the Record of Care, Treatment, and Services requirement to collect patient race and ethnicity information.
• Application of the Rights and Responsibilities of the Individual requirement prohibiting discrimination to accredited ambulatory healthcare, behavioral healthcare, and human services organizations.

The prepublication version of the Requirements to Reduce Health Care Disparities will be available online until December 31, 2022.