HCPro.com: Laboratory Compliance Insider

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February 2008 (Volume 5, Issue 2)	view entire issue

Avoid accreditation risks, pay attention to equipment care
Laboratories should not only regularly check and maintain equipment and instruments, they need to document their efforts, too. CLIA requires laboratories to perform regular equipment maintenance and function checks and correct problems that arise. CAP and The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) also look for compliance with this requirement during accreditation surveys and inspections. If something falls through the cracks with your instrument/equipment maintenance, function checks, corrective action, or documentation, expect to be cited during an on-site accreditation inspection, says Deborah A. Miller-Jones, MPH, MT(ASCP), senior technical specialist of the Laboratory Accreditation Program at CAP in Northfield, IL.

Avoid scrutiny for ESRD claims
An OIG audit recently resulted in a hospital repaying more than $60,000 for laboratory services to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients the OIG claimed were improperly billed. Avoid a similar fate by implementing the tips our experts recommend. The hospital's billing errors The OIG said the audited hospital committed the following three errors when billing for laboratory services to ESRD patients

Other recently-published articles from Laboratory Compliance Insider:

LCI 2008 index

Coming soon: Labs get ready and debate rages as ICD-10 implementation date approaches

Acronym attack? Tips to survive the new MAC/RAC world

Quality control, compliance in the genomics era

OIG addresses lab concerns in its 2009 Work Plan

Signature requirements cause labs headaches

Debate over licensing for technologists continues

Keep the chargemaster from being a taskmaster

Joint Commission offers options to combat disruptive acts

Incident-to rules rescinded, laboratories need not worry

Genetic testing raises questions about laboratory tests

CoP rule hardens blood safety requirements

Laboratories celebrate landmark victory

Secrets to success in processing medical necessity paperwork

A proactive approach to self-disclosure protocols

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