The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care's Institute for Quality published a benchmarking study on documenting patient allergies in ASCs.
The study analyzed self-reported data of 81 AAAHC-accredited organizations, reviewing more than 1,700 patient charts with at least one allergy from January to June this year, according to a November press release.
Here are five common issues the study found:
1. Allergies weren't verified or updated each visit.
2. Documentation recording allergies is inconsistently located in clinical records.
3. "Allergies" are listed but reactions aren't.
4. There's a reliance on "No Known Drug Allergies" without reference to other allergies or sensitivities.
5. Allergic reaction documentation is inconsistent.