The Benefits A Clinic Miss For Not Having The UHMS Accreditation

By Janine Hughes


The goal of every freestanding hyperbaric clinic is to achieve the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) accreditation so that they gain from the benefits that come with this certification. It is the way to send a clear message to the insurance companies, physicians, regulatory authorities and other parties that might refer patients to this facility that the facility is meeting the high national standards of the highest quality health care. The UHMS accreditation is a voluntary program with the aim of assuring other parties that the hospital-based hyperbaric oxygen therapy providers highest patient rating outcomes and satisfaction, meet the rigorous industry standards and practice evidence based medicine.

By definition, the accreditation is simply to ascertain that the hyperbaric oxygen therapy that the clinic offers if of industry standards. It also means that this clinic scores highly in patient satisfaction rate and practices evidence based medicine. This however does not come easy. There are stringent requirements set by the body that the facility has to meet to be accredited.

As such, a facility that intends to be accredited by this body should first start by assessing the extent to which its current facilities, staff, procedures, and practices conforms to standards set for the accreditation. The facility can seek help from consultants to help them conform to these requirements.

For one reason or another, many clinics usually resort to seek help from professional consultants to be ready for the survey. Generally, the terms of reference mainly focuses on evaluating the clinic's current position and the level of conformity and nonconformity. These consultants offer insight in scope, the time, and the resources necessary for full conformity. However, they may extend their services to include steering the clinic in the process of conformity.

The decision to employ consultants comes with several other benefits that come with it. The consultants will come up with a report that details the tasks that are necessary for conformance and an estimation of resources required for this purpose. Secondly, the consultant should establish relationship and dependencies in these tasks to ensure that there is order in undertaking the tasks.

The survey conducted consists of data gathering from many scopes of the facility's operation. For patient care, the data has to be gathered on issues such as assessment procedures, the care provision, patient education, and the patient rights. For the oxygen chamber, the data is gathered in areas including electrical installation, fabrication, ventilation, fire protection, and gas system.

For human resources, the data in regards to professional development, qualification, training, leadership and the numbers are considered. Other areas include research and development, teaching, publication, information management, and environmental sustainability.

Although the process might be costly in the beginning, the cost benefit analysis proves that it is a very profitable investment. It means more referral from practitioners which in turn increase the caseload. It ensures that reimbursement from insurers is prompt with no questions. It is the way to ensure that the hospital remains in business.




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