Quality Assurance in the Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine Setting

It is the mission of Best Publishing Company to publish educational books on all aspects of hyperbaric medicine. This includes books that are current and innovative, which promote medical education throughout the world.The following exerpt is from the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society's UHMS Guidelines for Hyperbaric Facility Operations, 4th Edition, Chapter 9. This chapter gives a brief overview of the UHMS's Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation Program. 

The most efficient and cost-effective means to demonstrate quality assurance in the clinical hyperbaric medicine setting is to achieve facility/program accreditation. In 2001, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society implemented its Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation Program. Since then, the Society has been recognized by The Joint Commission (TJC) as a complementary accrediting body, and the UHMS Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation program is ISO 9001-2015 certified by TB Audit Services.

The objectives of the program are to ensure that clinical hyperbaric facilities are as follows:

• Staffed with the proper specialists who are well trained.
• Use quality equipment that has been properly installed and maintained, and which is being operated with a level of safety that meets standards of care.
• Provide high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
• Maintain the appropriate documentation of informed consent, patient treatment procedures, and physician involvement.

UHMS Accreditation means that your facility has met the highest standards of care and patient safety through our rigorous evaluation of the adequacy of your facility, equipment, staff and training to ensure that the utmost quality is maintained within our specialty. - UHMS.org

The standards that facilities are surveyed against have been compiled from standards and guidelines of The Joint Commission (TJC), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), the Baromedical Nurses Association (BNA), the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), and others. Each survey standard is linked to a specific document for ease of cross-referencing.

The scope of accreditation includes the following major concentration areas:

• Governance
• Administration
• Operations
• Maintenance
• Facility Construction
• Hyperbaric Chamber Fabrication
• Hyperbaric Chamber Ventilation
• Hyperbaric Chamber Fire Protection
• Hyperbaric Chamber Electrical Systems and Services
• Gas Handling
• Patient Rights
• Patient Assessment
• Patient Care
• Environment of Care
• Patient Education
• Quality Improvement
• Professional Improvement
• Leadership
• Human Resources
• Information Management
• Infection Control/Prevention
• Medical Staff
• Teaching and Publication
• Clinical Research

The patient treatment record is an important element to help measure the quality of a hyperbaric medicine program. Comprehensive and timely treatment documentation is vital to validate the appropriateness of treatment and, in many cases, to help justify claims for reimbursement. It has been noted from hyperbaric facility accreditation surveys that the quality of content and thoroughness of treatment documentation is inconsistent from one facility to the next. Accreditation survey team members will evaluate a random sample of hyperbaric patient records to verify quality assurance.

Supporting documentation of the UHMS’s Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation Program is too comprehensive to describe in sufficient detail in this section. A copy of the Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation Manual can be downloaded from the UHMS website.

SEEKING ACCREDITATION
Visit the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society's facility accreditation page for more details. HFA Accreditation Director, Derall Garrett will be able to assist you with the details. (www.uhms.org)

SEEKING ADDITIONAL HYPERBARIC FACILITY EDUCATION
Wound Care Education Partners and the Hypebaric Certification Commission provide educational resources for medical professionals and hyperbaric facility staff and directors. These courses and certifications provide continuing education credits and foundation knowledge & skills from leaders in the industry. Follow the links provided below for more informaiton. 
Wound Care Education Partners
-Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine
-Hyperbaric Safety Director
-Wound Care Certification
-The Business of Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine
Hyperbaric Certification Commission
*Hyperbaric Certified - Safety
*Hyperbaric Certified - Program Director

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