Conducting FPPE/OPPE for your AHPs

It's been several years since the FPPE and OPPE processes were introduced, but medical staff offices still struggle with tracking the performance of their allied health professionals (AHP). Once these practitioners are credentialed and privileged, facilities find little guidance on what to do next to ensure AHPs provide quality patient care.

"State by state and even district by district vary in recording FPPE/OPPE due to the difficulties in determining what is really being requested," says Marlys Perry-Cattrysse, administrative assistant at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, Iowa. She adds that guidelines are difficult to find—and even if they're found, it's difficult to maintain them. As a result, all facilities have their own way of determining what they believe to be the best information on their AHPs according to government regulations.

"There certainly is no one-size-fits-all in the world of FPPE/OPPE. Each facility works to create forms they feel best fits them. Then through networking, either through state forums or other means, information on designing a form that will work for each hospital is created," says Perry-Cattrysse. She credits the forums for the Iowa Association of Medical Staff Services and the National Association Medical Staff Services as valuable resources during this process.

Source: Credentialing and Peer Review Legal Insider, October 2015