Infection prevention, safe injection practices, privileging, credentialing and documentation management were the most common deficiencies cited in ambulatory quality studies in 2018, according to the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care 2019 quality roadmap.
The AAAHC examined compliance ratings from 1,299 on-site surveys in that took place in ASCs, office-based surgery practices and primary care settings from March 1 through Dec. 31, 2018, to create the roadmap. Findings in this year's report were similar to those in last year's report, with ambulatory organizations struggling with safe injection practices, credentialing and privileging.
The roadmap showed that ambulatory organizations have improved compliance with Medicare deemed status standards and non-Medicare deemed status standards. Deemed status means the organization has undergone a survey process by an accreditation body to ensure it meets requirements set by CMS. The standards that saw improved compliance include:
Non-Medicare deemed status standards
1. Engaging patients in care decisions
2. Training staff in emergency equipment and safe evacuation plans
3. Identifying opportunities for quality improvement studies
4. Providing ongoing staff development and improvement
Medicare deemed status standards
1. Ensuring the appropriate providers and equipment are available when treating patients
2. Educating staff on new devices or products used for patient care
3. Complying with state and local building codes and regulations
"We designed the quality roadmap to help organizations identify themes that deserve special attention when pursuing ongoing quality improvement throughout the accreditation cycle," said Noel Adachi, president and CEO of AAAHC. "Using this report, along with our growing portfolio of educational programs and resources, organizations can integrate best practices to help them excel through all 1,095 days of an accreditation term."
Read the full report here.