AAAHC identifies areas of improvement for ASCs to target

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care released its 2016 Quality Roadmap which highlights areas of improvement across the ASC field.

The report uses data from 1,363 on-site accreditation surveys between June 2015 and June 2016.

Here's what you should know.

1. ASCs need to improve in credentialing, privileging and the peer review process. All three areas had incidence rates of 10 percent or higher. Vice President of the AAAHC Institute Naomi Kuznets, PhD, said although most facilities meet the standards. There were deficiencies in the three areas that need to be addressed to eliminate threats to patient safety and the risk of liability.

2. Quality improvement programs need meaningful goals after deficiencies were examined.

“Part of being a high-performing and accreditable organization is a commitment to continuous quality improvement that can be demonstrated through well-organized and effective QI studies,” Kuznets said. “The deficiencies identified are strongly associated with the lack or inadequacy of establishing meaningful, measurable performance goals.”

The report outlines a proper goal making process.

3. Documentation is another area which was lacking. Specifically the AAAHC identified allergy documentation and written evaluations of emergency drills as two areas of improvement.

4. It wasn't all about deficiencies, however. The AAAHC found 100 percent compliance in the following areas:

  • Provide patients with the opportunity to participate in decisions involving their healthcare
  • Provide information to patients regarding fees for services and payment policies
  • Achieve consistency in documentation regarding the person responsible for the patient’s care
  • Engage healthcare professionals who consistently practice in an ethical and legal manner
  • Implement fiscal controls for rates and charges

More articles on accreditation:
AAAHC accredits Stamford ASC: 3 key notes
UC Merced Health Services accredited by AAAHC: 3 things to know
Orthopedic Institute for Children Ambulatory Surgery Center earns AAAHC accreditation: 4 notes 

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