New procedural standards developed for ambulatory facilities

The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) has developed new procedural standards intended for ambulatory facilities performing procedures under sedation, which includes those performed by urologists.

Several patient safety issues and state regulatory initiatives in outpatient surgery have thrust facility accreditation into the news, according to AAAASF. As a result, the association has experienced an increase in demand for the accreditation of gastroenterology, endoscopy, and fertility clinics.

“The increased awareness of the importance of accreditation in ensuring patient safety has created a need for us to customize our standards to fit that specific niche demand. Since physicians working in these types of facilities do not perform surgery in the operating room as we have accredited in the past, we felt compelled to address them directly,” said Alan Gold, MD, AAAASF president.

The new procedural standards, featuring a user-friendly checklist format, include requirements for board certification, hospital privileges, peer review/quality improvement, anesthesia requirements, and core principles adherence.