Articles
For information related to a specific standard, enter the standard number in the search bar below. If no result is returned, contact your account advisor for guidance.

Assessing Competencies Helps Ensure Quality and Safety of Patient Care
Competencies are not just requirements in health care. They are crucial aspects. Competencies play pivotal roles in ensuring patient safety, quality and continuity of care, and operational efficiency. As a healthcare professional, your role in identifying and addressing competence-related issues is paramount.

Verifying Personnel Credentials Is a Crucial Task for Hospitals
Your latest hire might not be the healthcare professional you think you hired for your acute care hospital. Did you check? A multi-state scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas should serve as a crucial reminder about the importance of verifying credentials for all licensed personnel.

Why Documenting Feedback Matters for DMEPOS Services
DMEPOS suppliers often are cited during a survey for failing to meet performance management requirements established by DMEPOS Quality Standards of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Have a Plan for When You Must Write a Plan of Correction
Nobody is perfectly perfect. Nearly all organizations surveyed for accreditation are cited for deficiencies. To get back on the right track, the organization must develop an effective Plan of Correction (POC) for each deficiency and promptly submit it for approval before a final accreditation status can be determined. It’s a process.

New Year, New Updates for DMEPOS Providers
The new year brings several changes for DMEPOS providers from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition, ACHC has revised one DMEPOS Accreditation Standard to align with CMS changes.

Got Safety Plans? Waterborne Pathogens Can Spread Infection
As essential as water is to any hospital, this crucial element also can be a threat to patient safety. Waterborne pathogens – including multidrug-resistant organisms – can spread in seemingly innocuous ways. Having safety plans is essential.

DMEPOS: Include All Personnel in Survey Preparation
Proper preparation will enable your organization to recognize potential shortfalls and make adjustments before your survey.

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

Plan Ahead for Potential Drug Recalls
As drug recalls become more common, pharmacies should ensure they are prepared to effectively manage them and minimize risk for patients and their business.

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.