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.

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.

Good consultants should provide insight into the scope, time, and the resources necessary for the center to improve from its current status to the level that meets the survey requirements.

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.

Normally, the team from the UHMS conducts a survey in very wide areas within the facility. The areas of focus include fire protection, ventilation, fabrication, and the electrical installation of the chamber. For the patients, the issues to be examined include the patient rights, care, assessment, and education. In addition to this, the human resource, leadership, professional development, teaching, research and publication, information management, medical gas system, and environmental sustenance are also surveyed.

If a facility is UHMS accredited, then this is a proof that it has been examined by a third party that is non-biased and has been found to be at par with the hospital environmental standards. In addition to this, it is a statement that the medical facility is run by a very competent medical team managing health providers that meet the required qualification. It is the best assurance the regulators and the insurance companies can get certified that the facility offers quality patient care and with high standards of safety.

This in essence means more referrals to the facility as physicians are confident with the quality of health provision from this institution. The insurers will also be willing to reimburse the clinic that is accredited and more qualified health providers get attracted by the hospital. It translates to higher income.




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