The Joint Commission updates requirements for addressing ethical issues

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission, on May 31, announced an update to the Leadership (LD) requirement addressing ethical issues, effective August 27.

Element of Performance (EP) 1 of the standard LD.04.02.03—Ethical principles guide the [organization’s] business practices—now states: “The [organization] develops and implements a process that allows staff, [patients], and families to address ethical issues or issues prone to conflict.”

The update does not introduce a new requirement or expectations for compliance, but reinforces a longstanding expectation for accredited organizations, The Joint Commission says.