AAAHC: Step up credentialing, privileging, and peer review in ambulatory environments

Practitioner vetting and performance assessment are among the top trouble spots for today’s ambulatory healthcare facilities, according to a new report from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), a major accreditor in the space. The AAAHC Quality Roadmap 2016 features data from nearly 1,400 on-site AAAHC accreditation surveys conducted from June 2015 to June 2016. Credentialing, privileging, and peer review each had among the highest incidence (10% or more) of partially compliant or non-compliant surveyor ratings in considered facilities, which include ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, and primary care settings (e.g., student health, occupational health).  

In contrast, the report found “strong overall compliance” with AAAHC communication standards, including empowering patients to participate in decision making, providing them with payment information, and achieving consistency in caregiver-related documentation.

Source: AAAHC