NAMES IN THE NEWS

AAAHC Publishes Revised Toolkit

DECEMBER 2020

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Skokie, Illinois, published a fully updated Ambulatory Surgery and Preoperative Evaluation and Testing Toolkit, according to a recent press release. ASCs can utilize this toolkit to guide development of their preoperative evaluation program. The kit includes visual aids and recommendations by patient condition for patients undergoing intermediate and high-risk elective procedures.

Emphasizing the importance of preoperative evaluation as a means to identify patient comorbidities, this toolkit will help organizations minimize adverse perioperative outcomes and maximize patient safety, according to the release.

“Based on current research and AAAHC standards, the toolkit is designed to help ambulatory providers systemize preoperative evaluation in order to decide which, if any, tests are required based upon the clinical situation and the patient’s medical history,” said Noel Adachi, president and chief executive officer of AAAHC, in the release. “Ambulatory providers must balance routine testing against the need to recognize and protect against risks for patients who are not as healthy or are having more invasive procedures and higher levels of anesthesia.”

The toolkit provides guidance on the necessary steps for preoperative evaluation, including completing a medical history and physical exam, conducting a risk assessment and determining if a preoperative test is necessary, according to the release. In addition, it provides important considerations related to the timing of various preoperative evaluations.