Accreditation standards for practitioners in outpatient settings

We spoke with 2016 Credentialing Resource Center Symposium presenter Todd Sagin, MD, JD, president of Sagin Healthcare Consulting Services LLC, about outpatient practitioner credentialing and peer review challenges. The following is his response to a question about accreditation standards:

Q: Do different accreditation standards apply for practitioners in outpatient settings?

A: Hospital accreditation standards will apply to outpatient practices delivered under the license of a hospital. Other ambulatory facilities may be expected to meet standards promulgated by an alphabet soup of other entities ranging from the AAAHC [Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care] to the NCQA [National Committee for Quality Assurance]. Some outpatient entities will have to meet credentialing and peer review regulatory requirements such as those that apply to official CINs and Medicare ACOs.

Editor’s note: This topic will be highlighted during the 2016 Credentialing Resource Center Symposium, during the session Practitioner Credentialing and Competency Assessment in the 21st Century. To learn more about the Symposium, April 7-8, in Orlando, click here.