The Process Of UHMS Accreditation And Its Benefits

By Janine Hughes


The primary goal for the freestanding hyperbaric clinic should be to attain the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) accreditation. This is for obvious reasons; it is the way to stay in business for long. It assures other players that services offered by the facility are beyond reproach. Although it requires heavy investment to attain quality in all aspects, the benefits that follow are immense. The referrals from physicians and other medical practitioners increase while the medical insurers trust the institution with their clients are willing to reimburse any expenses without too much negotiation. Normally, the UHMS accreditation is voluntary; however, the process of attaining it is rigorous.

In order to be accredited, the medical facility's wound care team will have to provide data that detail the quality of the hyperbaric medicine, policies and procedures, safety and the patient outcomes to the team send by the UHMS to the facility. The team sent will also have to examine the staffing and training process and conduct an insight survey to examine other facilities available like the equipment, the operation and maintenance program, the standard of care and the patient safety procedures among others.

The UHMS team is sent to conduct a survey and collect data that proves that the facility meet the set standards. The data collected focuses on all areas of medical provision such as the policies and procedures in place, the quality of hyperbaric therapy offered, the safety stands, treatment outcome level of satisfaction among others.

Since the standards are so high, it is often advisable that the medical facility seeks services from expert consults to assess the extent to which their current establishment and procedures conform to the said standards. The consultants should offer insight in regards to scope, the resources, and time required for conformity. The consultant should also offer assistance in helping the facility conform by steering the processes required by the institution.

A third party consultant also comes with several other benefits. The consultant comes up with a detailed report stating the tasks and timing for the same. In addition to this, the report gives the relationship between one task to the other, and which should come first and second. As such, a clear picture of what is to be done, and the resources required for the same are clear for the party. The consultant may also offer assistance in performing some of the tasks.

The specific areas to be surveyed include general administration, the operations, construction, and facility maintenance. The chamber is also inspected on the basis of fabrication, ventilation, fire protection, and electrical system. For patients, the issues like patients' rights, assessment, care, and education are also considered. The other areas are medical staff, the human resources, infection control, medical gas system, clinical research, teaching and publication, leadership, information management, professional improvement, and the environmental care.

Once also the areas meet the set standards, a facility attains the accreditation, which is a proof that the facility conforms to the high standards required in the medical environment. It also a proof that the team running the said medical center is qualified and the health care providers have the necessary training and professional qualification.

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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