In 2022, nearly half of the nation’s hospitals ended the year in the red. With budgets under pressure, healthcare organizations have been forced to take a variety of steps to cut expenses. But when it comes to the essential services a hospital needs to elevate patient safety and maintain compliance, where do you draw the line on what to keep and what to cut? Mock surveys are one tool that Risk, Compliance, Legal and even Financial departments use to improve patient safety, adhere to the ever-changing compliance mandates, attain or maintain Joint Commission Accreditation, CMS, and state regulatory compliance, and save money. Here are 7 reasons why a mock survey is essential to your organization.
What is a Mock Survey?
A mock survey simulates the Joint Commission, CMS, or state regulatory survey agenda preparing you for the interviews, tracers, and other sessions you’ll experience during the assessment.
Why Do You Need a Mock Survey?
In addition to understanding and preparing for the Joint Commission, CMS, and state regulatory visit, a mock survey allows you to re-examine care processes and procedures and identify high risk areas. In fact, these risks can turn into litigation risk which can translate to significant reputation and budget implications.
But it’s not just passing a survey and avoiding litigation. The difficulty of patient care and stress on front line care givers, exacerbated by COVID, created numerous problems including low morale. decreased job satisfaction and productivity declines. The mock survey process can reverse these trends resulting in improved processes and patient care. For example,
1) Enhanced Staff Engagement
Mock surveys foster staff engagement. As active participants in the process, participating staff become more engaged with the Joint Commission/CMS/state compliance requirements which helps healthcare organizations foster a culture of continuous improvement and create a sense of ownership over compliance and patient care.
2) Process Improvements
When staff cuts and a hiring freeze occur, it’s essential your staff operates in the most effective way. Mock surveys help healthcare organizations increase efficiency. They identify areas where processes could be streamlined and improved and provide guidance on best practices. They also uncover areas where increased oversight and stronger accountability will lead to better outcomes for patients and staff.
3)Improved Patient Care and Staff Morale
Mock surveys help bring the challenges that front line caregivers face to light. The process of preparing for a mock survey leads to contributions from team members so their voices are heard. By going through a simulated survey, you can identify areas where you may have fallen short and make necessary changes to improve patient outcomes.
At Barrins & Associates, our clients have reported that the process of preparing for a mock survey has helped them identify areas for improvement, resulting in improved patient care and increased staff motivation. Learn more about our services.
4) Improved Communication Between Departments
Mock Surveys reinforce the need for interdepartmental communication and improve overall collaboration within the organization.
5) Increased Knowledge of Regulations
Frequently scored standards are often those that the staff doesn’t fully understand. Mock surveys step through the details behind the requirements. This leads to a better understanding of compliance guidelines and makes it more likely staff will adhere to them.
The Barrins team stays up to date with the latest standards/regulations and can help healthcare organizations navigate the complex landscape of compliance. Learn more about our team.
6) Increased Confidence in the Survey Process
Benjamin Franklin is credited with the statement, “Practice Makes Perfect.” Although he wasn’t referring to mock surveys, simulating a survey serves a similar purpose. Understanding the process and expectations of surveyors, identifying areas where you may be falling short and taking corrective actions increases your ability to achieve compliance.
7) Improved Compliance
The ultimate purpose of mock surveys is to meet compliance guidelines when The Joint Commission, CMS, or state regulators conduct their survey. A heightened awareness of regulations and better knowledge of standards leads to better compliance outcomes.
Barrins and Associates
Mock surveys help you improve patient care, staff morale, and regulatory compliance. It brings fresh eyes into your organization to identify risks that you no longer see. Barrins’ team of experienced professionals has a proven track record of helping healthcare organizations. We have conducted 100s of mock surveys for hospitals throughout the U.S. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your organization.