Follow the NCQA Roadmap
Once a practice has committed to achieving NCQA accreditation, the real work of transformation begins. The process can take months to complete with organization and planning being crucial to a smooth transition. Here are a few tips for moving a practice smoothly to a recognized patient-centric model:
- Explain the goal and the process. Get commitment from everyone in the practice including clinicians, back-office personnel, and patient-facing staff members. Explain the process, then explain it again regularly to make sure everyone knows where the practice is headed.
- Be positive about new policies and procedures and assure staff that there will be training to cover the new skills needed.
- Acknowledge ahead of time that there will be breakdowns along the way but that the goal is worth the effort. Assure everyone that there will be no “blame games” when things go awry. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your original plan when necessary to get things back on track.
Your unfailing roadmap is the NCQA Standards and Guidelines document which covers all parts of the process in detail. Remember, all procedures and your EMR must be fully up and running at least 3 months before survey submission. Practice transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but once a practice is fully onboard the NCQA model, the rewards are worth the effort.