CMS still not happy with AOs' performance, wants tougher findings

Expect accrediting organizations (AO) to get even tougher on problems found within the physical environment after yet another critical CMS report to Congress about the agency’s oversight of AOs.

CMS also expressed concerns again about missed findings under Infection Control and Governing Body Conditions of Participation (CoP).

The end result may be that AOs escalate more findings into condition-level deficiencies, say accreditation experts.

The agency’s critique was based largely on the disparities between the problems found by AO survey teams and those identified by CMS state surveyors in the weeks following the on-site visit.