Joint Commission: New APRs on Focused Standards Assessment

The new Accreditation Participation Requirements on the Focused Standards Assessment (FSA), the new name of the improved Periodic Performance Review (PPR), are now available on The Joint Commission website. The requirements will become effective January 1, 2012 for the ambulatory care, behavioral health care, home care, hospital, laboratory services and long term care programs. The new name more appropriately reflects an emphasis on an organization’s assessment combined with The Joint Commission’s knowledge of high risk areas that are critical to patient safety and quality. The FSA is part of a broad initiative called the Intracycle Monitoring (IM) process which, when complete, will focus on activities to help identify risk points in health care organizations along with resources for addressing patient safety and quality problems. During 2012, pilot tests of the new IM process will occur; results of these pilot tests will be communicated in future issues of Joint Commission Online. Full implementation is planned for 2013

NCQA Updates

NCQA has just posted their updates to the HP and CVO standards. All corrections, clarifications and changes can be found here: http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/120/Default.aspx.

Checklists more effective when physicians are prompted to use them: A case-study in teamwork.

2011 NAMSS Conference Key-Note Speaker, John Nance, is a world-class speaker, consultant and best selling author, who brings a rich diversity of professional training and background to the quest of patient safety and medical practice improvement. In his book , Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care Nance explains, “The reality is that hospitals are people, and when, as a team, they can climb free of the failed methods of the past, they indeed can fly, in both spirit and accomplishment.

This story published by the AMA gave an example of such teamwork put into place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. As we all know, checklists can be found everywhere but as this article demonstrates can only be effective when challenged as a team effort. Read the story here.

CMS Issues Memo on Telemedicine Rule for Hospitals and CAHs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a memorandum with information on the final rule streamlining telemedicine credentialing in hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs).

To read the memorandum, click here:
http://www.namss.org/Portals/0/Advocacy/CMS%20Final%20Rule%20-%20CAH.pdf


Source: CMS

NCQA Promotional Item Pre-Approval No Longer Required

NCQA has issued the following announcement regarding pre-approval of promotional material, which is of interest to MSPs who work in the commercial CVO setting:

As of August 1, 2011, NCQA will no longer routinely require that you submit for our advance approval your promotional materials referencing your NCQA status. Instead, we will be instituting an audit of promotional materials to ensure they comply with NCQA's Marketing and Advertising Guidelines as more fully described below for NCQA Accreditation, Certification, Recognition, Distinction and Health Insurance Plan Rankings.

The new streamlined process is described in the NCQA Marketing and Advertising Guidelines and is intended to reduce your burden when you publicize your NCQA status. The updated guidelines will be available on our Web site www.ncqa.org.

Source: NCQA

TJC Changes PPR to Focused Standards Assessment

The following announcement was published in the June 29, 2011 issue of Joint Commission Online:

In 2012, The Joint Commission will develop and test multiple components of a broad initiative called the Intracycle Monitoring (IM) process. One of the components is an incrementally improved Periodic Performance Review (PPR), which will be renamed the Focused Standards Assessment (FSA). The new name more appropriately reflects an emphasis on an organization’s assessment combined with The Joint Commission’s knowledge of high risk areas that are critical to patient safety and quality. The IM process, when complete, will focus on activities to help identify risk points in health care organizations along with resources for addressing patient safety and quality problems. The FSA – the improved PPR – will be effective January 1, 2012. Also effective January 1, 2012, the FSA will only need to be submitted 12 and 24 months following the organization’s last triennial survey. The FSA will not need to be submitted during the third year of accreditation (the year the organization is due for the on-site survey). All four of the options for participating in the FSA will continue to be available; results of the FSA will also continue not to impact an organization’s accreditation decision. During 2012, pilot tests of the new IM process will occur; results of these pilot tests will be communicated in future issues of Joint Commission Online. Full implementation is planned for 2013. (Contact: Gail Weinberger, gweinberger@jointcommission.org)

Have You Experienced the NPDB "Rejected" Message?

A NAMSS member recently contacted the blog, asking for help with a problem. The member submitted two reports manually, receiving a "Rejected" message for each report. This is the first time the member has received the messages and is wondering if other members are having the same issue, or can provide any insight as to what may solve the problem.

Vote in the poll below and feel free to leave comments and suggestions that may help a fellow member!

Have you experienced any technical difficulties with submissions to the NPDB?
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CMS Proposes Rule Retracting Physician Signature Requirement

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule eliminating the requirement that a physician or qualified non-physician sign test requisitions in order for the tests to be paid for under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.

The rule was supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2011, but was indefinitely delayed after many argued that the rule would create inefficiency.

The proposed rule is open for a 60-day comment period and will likely be finalized later this year.

To see the Federal Register announcement, click here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-06-30/pdf/2011-16366.pdf

CA Podiatrists and Physicians Pursue Collaborative Education

Podiatrists and physicians are working together in California to even out the educational differences between podiatric and medical schools in the state. The effort is being led by the California Podiatric Medical Association, California Medical Association, and California Orthopaedic Association.

The change would allow California podiatrists to practice as licensed physicians and surgeons with a nationally recognized scope and license.

This collaboration is unique as efforts to align licensure and scope of practice between physicians and other health professionals has been an ongoing debate in many states.

To read the full article, click here:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/06/27/prl20627.htm


Source: amednews.com