OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – The Joint Commission has released a new field guide on LGBT patient-centered care. The guide, titled Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community, urges U.S. hospitals to create a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for LGBT patients and their families. The Joint Commission is the nation’s largest accrediting organization for health care facilities, responsible for accrediting and certifying more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The field guide is available for download at jointcommission.org/lgbt.
The field guide features a compilation of strategies, practice examples, resources, and testimonials designed to help hospitals in their efforts to improve communication and provide more patient-centered care to their LGBT patients.
It also points health care facilities to the HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) as a resource on best practices in LGBT patient-centered care. The annual HEI surveys and rates respondents on their policies and practices related to LGBT patients and families.
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
“We applaud The Joint Commission’s work to advance LGBT health care equality through its accreditation standards and now this new field guide on LGBT patient-centered care,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
