The country’s leading hospital accreditation body recently eliminated the only performance standard that governed clinical ethics services. We argue the removal of the ethics standard requires additional review, and we have three recommendations.

To eliminate a quality metric for clinical ethics is at odds with good clinical practice and it reinforces structural inequality.

The Joint Commission, which accredits our nation's hospitals, eliminated the sole element of performance that governed clinical ethics services. This decision impedes equity and undercuts progress toward fostering ethical practice in health care.