New AAAHC Allergy Documentation Toolkit HighlightsImportance of Issue, Provides Action Plan

Guidelines Based on Surveyor Insights Provide Simple Structural Framework for Health Care Professionals

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) announces the release of its updated Allergy Documentation Toolkit, featuring new data and references for the seriousness of allergies and allergy-related medical issues in the United States.

This toolkit is designed to raise awareness of research, issues, and protocols regarding allergy documentation, and to underscore the need for health care providers to maintain comprehensive patient allergy information. The guidelines, which focus on general best practices for patient documentation, also include more specific discussions about latex and penicillin/beta-lactam allergies. The updated recommendations were developed based on AAAHC Surveyor Findings and Compliance Hints, as referenced in the Allergy Documentation Toolkit, to address specific allergy documentation challenges and identify opportunities to improve internal policies and staff training programs.

“We aim to empower health care workers with the necessary information to develop effective processes when it comes to caring for the millions of Americans living with allergies and mitigating heightened risk factors in clinical settings,” said Noel Adachi, MBA, president and CEO of AAAHC. “Toolkits like this demonstrate how AAAHC helps its accredited organizations remain survey ready all 1,095 days of the accreditation cycle.”

Accurate allergy documentation allows health care providers to help avoid – but also respond to and treat – a reaction quickly and correctly, which is why it is imperative that documentation be accessible, organized, and updated regularly. Designed with research at the forefront, the Allergy Documentation Toolkit provides a detailed yet simple structural framework for health care professionals to create internal Allergy Action Plans that meet specific facility and patient needs.

“Establishing a standardized documentation process is crucial for patient allergy safety, the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country,” said Julie Lynch, director of the Institute for Quality Improvement at AAAHC. “We developed this comprehensive toolkit to make it easier for health care providers to implement a framework for preventing this common health issue and treating any reactions that do occur.”

Additional information about the new toolkit and allergy documentation best-practices, as well as other AAAHC Toolkits, can be found here.

About AAAHC 

Founded in 1979, AAAHC is the leader in ambulatory health care accreditation, with more than 6,700 organizations accredited. We accredit a wide range of outpatient settings, including ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, student health centers, medical and dental group practices, community health centers, worksite health clinics, retail clinics, and Indian/Tribal health centers, among others.   

AAAHC advocates for the provision of high-quality health care through the development and adoption of nationally recognized standards. We provide a valuable survey experience founded on a peer-based, educational approach to onsite review. The AAAHC Certificate of Accreditation and specialized programs including Advanced Orthopaedic Certification and Patient-Centered Medical Home Certification demonstrate an organization’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality services to its patients—every day of the 1,095-day accreditation cycle. AAAHC Accreditation and Certification Programs are recognized by third-party payors, medical professional associations, liability insurance companies, state and federal agencies, and the public. For more information on AAAHC, please visit www.aaahc.org.