Outpatient Services

Quality of Outpatient Services

While most outpatient service centers are accredited and approved for the types of treatment offered, not all centers provide care that is right for you. It is important to determine whether the provider you're considering is reputable and qualified. The following government and health agencies can help you learn about the quality of outpatient service centers:

• Quality Check, which is a service of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. You can contact this organization by phone at (630) 792-5800 or online at www.jcaho.org.
• Your state's board of medicine. Every state in the United States has a state board of medicine that regulates complaints against medical facilities and doctors. Although this agency will not reveal the details about any facility or individual, you can find out if there have been complaints filed against a facility or doctor. You can locate your state board of medicine through the local telephone directory or by going online and searching for "Board of Medicine" for your particular state.
• The Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation for Immunohematology, which oversees the accreditation for laboratories and testing centers. Information from this agency can be obtained through their Web site at www.cola.org.
• The American Osteopathic Association, an agency that monitors approval of professional services by osteopathic physicians. You can find this agency through your local telephone directory, online at www.osteopathic.org, or by contacting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov.
• Your HMO, PPO, or insurance carrier, which may also be able to provide information about outpatient service centers. Many insurance carriers keep quality indicator records for doctors and facilities in your local area.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: April 17, 2008
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Brent Shoji, MD - General Surgery
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