Key Areas of Accreditation Due Diligence

Yesterday I had two interesting calls yesterday with potential clients. Both were required to be accredited but had some latitude about the specific accreditation body.   They had a number of questions about which accreditation body that should chose. Below I have outlined a number of questions that an organization should think about when picking an accreditation agency.

The following areas are important to consider during an organization’s due diligence:

• Has the accreditation organization established an excellent reputation in the industry?
• Is the accreditation organization recommended by several respected professionals?
• Has the accreditation entity established a reasonable and competitive cost structure?
• Does the accreditation entity’s staff exude professionalism in every possible venue?
• Is the accreditation organization known for treating potentially accredited healthcare organization’s staff with respect
• Does the staff at the accreditation entity go the extra mile in collaborating with healthcare staff to interpret standards?
• Is there a formal, user friendly process for obtaining information related to interpretation of standards?
• Remember to review the standards to see if they are relevant to your organization, to ensure that no other accreditation entity provides a better match, and that the applicable standards are not prohibitive for your organization 

Technology Changes Business Travel

I read with interest a recent article about airlines loss of business travelers over the past few years.  Last year business travel was down 60%. They expect business travel to be up this year.  The article went on to say that the industry does not expect to get back any more than half the  business it lost because of technology advances.  We recently assisted a managed care company to become URAC accredited in 3 areas over a  short period of time.  This would have in the past involved lots of travel and on-site meetings.  We did all of it with just one face to face meeting (excluding  a mock survey and the actual URAC survey).   All the rest of the preparation was done via web conferencing.  This reduced the cost by at least half.  Not only was it very cost-effective but the technology lead to superior results, possible because of the way you can focus participants using web-based technology.  If your organization needs high quality cost-effective health care consulting services please contact us for a free consultation.

Evaluating Healthcare Accreditation Entities

I am often asked what is the best  accreditation organization.  Typically I am asked this question by a client that has just engaged our services and after they have chosen an accreditation entity.  I asked our expert accreditation consultant, Rachel Walker, SVP of BHM’s accreditation and QI Division to help out.  She wrote two articles in our February newsletter that I thing are helpful. Please see our newsletter for more details.

When it comes to spending your “accreditation dollars” it can be a jungle out there.  Not only are there a variety of accreditations, but also a vast choice in entities which provide them.   Find out what to consider before spending your money on accreditation according to BHM’s accreditation expert Rachel Walker.  Learn important keys to identifying the accreditation entity which will not only support your organization in reaching goals and objectives, but also be more beneficial to your organization when taking into consideration the “big picture”. 

Learn the essential keys to accreditation due diligence.  This article will feature concrete questions which should be part of any organizations due diligence process, along with expert advice from BHM’s accreditation expert Rachel S. Walker, RN, B-C, CHCQM.