Articles
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Acute Care Hospital: Unraveling the Mysteries of Informed Consent
In the healthcare industry, informed consent has been a hot topic for decades. When is consent required? Who can obtain it? When should it be obtained? What needs to be addressed in the discussion? What elements should be in an acute care hospital’s informed consent policy? Who is legally allowed to sign the form?

Preparation Key to Effectively Handling Emergencies
ACHC Standards and Medicare Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) require organizations to develop an emergency preparedness plan.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Informed Consent
Patients or their representatives have the right to participate in the development of the patients’ plans of care. This includes providing informed consent for medical and surgical interventions and other aspects of their care

CMS Changing CLIA Proficiency Testing Regulations
Staff and administrators of some clinical laboratories will have rules changes to keep up with in the months ahead as Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) proficiency testing regulations take effect.

Effective Date Set for Revised ABN Form
The revised Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, is now available to download from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Affected organizations must start using the updated ABN form by June 30, 2023.

New Guidance on Your Facility Demographic Report
To help your organization meet requirements for completing Facility Demographic Reports (FDRs), Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) is providing guidance.

Palliative Care: Standards Require Credential Verification
Recent federal arrests in a scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas serve as a critical reminder to palliative care organizations about the importance of verifying credentials for licensed personnel.

Home Health: The Importance of Verifying Personnel Credentials
Recent federal arrests in a scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas serve as a critical reminder to home health agencies about the importance of verifying credentials for licensed personnel.

Changes to Know for Clinical Laboratories
COVID-19 tests and cholera testing remain current topics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a bulletin about a COVID-19 test recall and has approved four more at-home antigen tests.

Palliative Care: Plan Ahead for the End of the COVID-19 PHE
With the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ending soon, affected healthcare providers, including home health agencies with deemed status, will need to make adjustments as they prepare to restore normal operations.