What Healthcare Teams Need to Do Now to Meet 2026 Care Standards

As healthcare organizations prepare for 2026, one priority is becoming clear across accreditation bodies, payers, and quality programs: the need to strengthen communication, equity, accessibility, and patient-support practices. This shift reflects a broader movement toward improving impartiality in care delivery, reducing ableism in clinical interactions and workflows, and ensuring respectful, non-stigmatizing approaches to identity and data collection.

For hospitals, health plans, and care delivery organizations, 2026 is a milestone year when several frameworks converge. Teams that begin aligning practices now, particularly around communication skills, accessibility, data collection, patient support, and staff training, will be better positioned for upcoming accreditation cycles, improved patient outcomes, and stronger organizational performance.

Why 2026 matters for healthcare standards

Several major standard-setting bodies are elevating requirements tied to equitable, person-centered care. While these expectations have been building for years, 2026 signals a new level of visibility and accountability, especially in how organizations assess disparities, support diverse patient needs, and demonstrate progress.

The three key frameworks shaping this landscape are:

1. The Joint Commission (TJC)

TJC’s standard LD.04.03.08 requires hospitals to identify and address healthcare disparities as part of their quality and safety programs. Beginning with the 2026 reporting period, organizations must demonstrate full implementation of the six Elements of Performance, which include:

1. Assigning leaders to oversee equity efforts

2. Screening patients for health-related social needs (HRSNs)

3. Collecting and analyzing sociodemographic (REaL-D) data

4. Developing a documented action plan

5. Taking corrective action when goals are not met

6. Communicating progress to stakeholders

These expectations are reinforced by TJC’s National Patient Safety Goal NPSG.16.01.01, which emphasizes that equitable, understandable, accessible communication is fundamental to patient safety.

2. NCQA Health Equity Accreditation

NCQA’s 2026 standards strengthen expectations related to:

• Workforce training on communication, impartiality, and patient-centered engagement

• Improved demographic and identity data practices

• Equitable access across networks

• Organizational accountability for identifying and reducing disparities

These updates reflect the growing recognition that communication skills, respectful data practices, and inclusive workflows are essential for reducing miscommunication and inequities that affect patient outcomes.

3. National CLAS Standards

The National CLAS Standards offer a framework for delivering effective, respectful, and accessible care to all patients. CLAS continues to guide best practices in:

• Language access

• Health literacy and plain-language communication

• Disability inclusion and reduction of ableism

• Accessible formats and support services

Organizations increasingly turn to CLAS to strengthen communication systems, reduce barriers, and create environments where patients feel respected and understood.

What healthcare teams should focus on now

The themes across TJC, NCQA, and CLAS are clear: to meet 2026 expectations, organizations must have strong systems for leadership, communication, accessibility, data, and monitoring. The following areas align directly with the readiness checklist that accompanies this blog.

1. Strong Leadership & Accountability

Organizations must formally assign leaders to oversee equity and communication initiatives, define responsibilities clearly, and ensure leaders remain accountable for driving improvements. This leadership structure creates the foundation for all other readiness activities.

2. Reliable REaL-D Data Collection & Analysis

Accurate, respectful, non-stigmatizing identity data collection is essential for identifying disparities. Organizations should collect REaL-D data consistently, screen for HRSNs, stratify quality and safety metrics, and regularly analyze results. These practices support impartial decision-making and more equitable care.

3. Documented, Measurable Action Plans

To comply with TJC standards, organizations must have a written action plan with specific, measurable goals tied to disparities or communication barriers. Regular updates ensure the plan remains relevant and effective.

4. Workforce Communication & Accessibility Skills

Organizations should strengthen staff skills through training in:

• Plain-language communication

• Consistent and appropriate use of interpreters

• Disability-inclusive communication that reduces ableism

• Identifying and responding to social needs

• Person-centered, empathetic interactions

These skills directly influence patient understanding, trust, satisfaction, and outcomes.

5. Accessible Communication Practices

Communication must be understandable, accessible, and safe. This includes:

• Following health literacy principles

• Offering alternative formats for patients with disabilities

• Ensuring reliable interpreter access

• Consistently confirming patient understanding

These practices help reduce miscommunication and improve patient safety.

6. Patient-Support Workflows

Organizations should design workflows that reduce barriers and provide clear pathways for patient support. This includes connecting patients to community resources, addressing accessibility needs, establishing escalation processes, and integrating patient feedback into improvements.

7. Monitoring, Reporting & Adjustment

Progress must be reviewed regularly, results communicated to stakeholders, and corrective actions taken when goals are not met. Demonstrating year-over-year improvement is a core expectation for 2026.

8. Organizational Readiness for 2026

Teams should understand upcoming standards, align internal timelines, identify and prioritize gaps, and ensure training and workflow updates are in motion. Leadership engagement is essential for success.

How strong communication & accessibility improve outcomes

Clear, accessible, person-centered communication reduces miscommunication, enhances impartiality, supports disability inclusion, and improves diagnostic accuracy. When staff have the skills and systems to communicate effectively with all patients, the organization’s ability to meet care standards and deliver consistent, equitable outcomes significantly improves.

Get started with the 2026 Standards Readiness Checklist

To support your preparation, we’ve provided a free 2026 Standards Readiness Checklist for Healthcare Organizations. This concise resource helps teams:

• Identify strengths

• Highlight gaps

• Prioritize improvements

• Strengthen communication, equity, and accessibility practices

Use it as a starting point for your 2025–2026 action plan and to prepare your team for success during upcoming accreditation and quality review cycles.