The value of accurate Program Information Forms

Abstract

Air Medical Journal 21:2 An important part of the accreditation process is completing the Program Information Form (PIF), which can be mailed on disc or E-mailed to the applicant. The PIF corresponds exactly to the current accreditation standards in effect so that each question is numbered the same as the standard referenced. The PIF also prompts the applicant to include or attach copies of certain documents and policies. Reviewing the completed PIF and these attachments provides board reviewers and sites surveyors with vital information about the service and facilitates a site visit that focuses on areas that need further clarification, exceed the standards, or may not comply with the standards. Without this type of prereview, site surveyors would have to spend a week or more at the site. Tamara Bauer, RN, MSN, a trauma coordinator and former flight nurse from Wichita, Kansas, has been on the CAMTS board of directors for several years as the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) representative. She has graciously contributed her thoughts on preparing the PIF as follows. A PIF provides CAMTS with its first look at a program. It is a reflection of the program and its current activities. Before a site survey, the PIF is carefully examined by the site surveyor, a board member, and the executive director. They study the PIF and its attachments and begin to develop a picture of the program. Any questions raised during this initial review are addressed during the site survey. During the past year, CAMTS noticed a downturn in the quality of PIFs submitted by some programs seeking reaccreditation. Often the information was incomplete or ambiguous. Either way, this type of PIF gave the reviewers a poor initial impression of the programs. Some programs said a required policy or attachment did apply to them but then failed to provide an explanation or data substantiating this claim. A few programs even resubmitted their previous PIFs with few if any changes. CAMTS hopes a program will continue to mature after receiving its initial accreditation. This growth should be reflected in the PIF, which should address the new standards enacted since the last survey. The PIF, an essential part of the accreditation process, should be as complete as possible. All required attachments should be included, properly identified, and numbered. The PIF should be user friendly and easy to read. Programs should avoid cramming it with so many pages that it is impossible for the reviewer to turn them. Programs should ensure they make a good first impression.