Approved: New and revised hospital EPs to improve patient-provider communication.

ments to improve patient–provider communication applicable to the hospital accreditation program. These requirements were developed as part of a larger initiative, supported by The Commonwealth Fund, to increase quality and safety through effective communication, cultural competence, and patientand family-centered care. For many patients, communication can be inhibited by language and cultural differences, or by the patient’s hearing or visual impairment, health literacy, cognitive impairment, disease, or disability. The new and revised elements of performance (EPs) address the following issues: