The Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc launched two new home healthcare-based specialty credentials that will be awarded to ACHC-accredited organizations that have excelled in providing high-quality, patient-centered care.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways
- The Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc (ACHC) has launched two new specialty credentials: the Distinction in Age-Friendly Care for Home Health and Hospice and the Distinction in Outcomes for Home Health, to set quality standards for home-based care services.
- The Distinction in Age-Friendly Care recognizes organizations that excel in providing patient-centered care for older adults by implementing the 4Ms framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility, aiming to improve outcomes and satisfaction.
- The Home Health Distinction in Outcomes awards agencies that rank in the top 25% of their cohort based on patient outcomes, satisfaction, and healthcare utilization, using nationwide data and Medicare claims from the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model.
Furthering its steadfast commitment to set quality standards for home-based care services, Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc (ACHC) has launched two new specialty credentials:
- The Distinction in Age-Friendly Care for Home Health and
- Hospice and the Distinction in Outcomes for Home Health.
Based on thorough evaluation of defined specialty services, the Distinctions will be awarded to ACHC-accredited organizations that have excelled in providing high-quality, patient-centered care, ACHC reports.
Age-Friendly Care for Home Health and Hospice
The Distinction in Age-Friendly Care acknowledges organizations that recognize the unique goals and priorities of care for older adults. For example, age-friendly care proactively ensures safety and reduces harm and confusion, aiming to align care with patient goals, thereby improving outcomes and satisfaction. Awarded organizations will have demonstrated sufficient implementation of such considerations, in addition to the four evidence-based best practices in geriatric care known as the 4Ms*: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility.
Outcomes for Home Health
The Home Health Distinction in Outcomes recognizes excellence across three key domains: patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and healthcare utilization. Since 2021, nationwide data and Medicare claims have been aggregated in annual evaluation reports for the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model, which ranks agencies by performance within peer cohorts. The Distinction is available to those ACHC-accredited agencies that score in the top 25% of their cohort.
Established to set quality standards and enhance home-based care services, both Distinctions underscore ACHC’s commitment to providing diverse agencies with solutions that meet the needs of their patient population.
“I believe the best part of delivering age-friendly health services is when the clinicians realize it is the most important part of the care we give,” said Karen Snavely, BSN, RN, regional director of clinical services for the Central Region of CommonSpirit Health at Home. “When we ask the patient what matters to them, we get a completely different view of what the goal for their care should be and how important it is to them. One clinician said this has become the best part of documentation, knowing what the patient really wants.”
By offering these Distinctions, ACHC ensures that home-based care agencies are focused on a patient-centered approach as they pursue continuous quality improvement. As a result, their patients, particularly in geriatric care, receive the high-quality services they need, want and deserve.
To learn more about the distinction awards, visit: www.achc.org/new-hh-hsp-distinctions/.
*The 4Ms framework is a key element of the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative developed by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in collaboration with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States.
