Muhammad Sayed, MD
Not only does accreditation mandate QA/PI programs, Medicare also mandates quality reporting. Rather than looking at QA/PI as a task or a dreaded duty, make it a part of your daily activities, then it will become part of your culture.
There are a few organizations that provide accreditation for sleep centers. They are (alphabetically): Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC); American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM); The Compliance Team (TCT), and The Joint Commission (TJC). Each organization is different regarding sleep medicine accreditation categories, cost, maintenance of annual membership fees, start to finish typical timeframe, on-site visits, and renewal of accreditation. Medicare has awarded deeming authority for sleep specific accreditation entities. All accrediting agencies share some of the same required quality assurance activities, but each also has unique requirements. It is recommended to compare them and find the one that best serves the needs of your facility.
Further articles could explore the different aspects of accreditation and the important role it plays in advancing the field of sleep medicine while improving the quality of services provided. QA/PI is an ongoing and crucial process that assists an organization identify areas that could potentially cost them money, patients, and credibility.
Muhammad Sayed, MD, RST, FACP, DWASM, RPSGT, DABPN, CHCQM, DNBPAS, FABQAURP, is an assistant professor of Neurology/Sleep Medicine at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. He provides expert counseling for ACHC and helps other sleep centers/labs achieve accreditation with the accrediting agency of their choice.