Often a facility requests consultative services in anticipation of a CoC survey, a significant backlog in abstraction has been identified or the oncology team has participated in a disastrous CoC survey! A Registry Partners Incorporated Consultant is of value in any of these circumstances. It honestly does not take long to determine the root causes and develop an action plan for implementation.
A brief Cancer Registry 101 or CoC Accreditation 101 course can be provided to assist administrators in making informed decisions about the use of a consultant and long term plans following recommendations. Cancer program and cancer registry work is detailed and varied – often good reasons to use a consultant who can sort out what needs to be done and what hasn’t been done over the past year(s).
All Registry Partners Consultants have vast experience in meeting with key oncology team members to determine how to prioritize action items and either provide the management and operations or mentor those onsite. Our business model is for the consultant to be part of the oncology team and a constant resource.
Cost is always an important variable in choosing a consultant, but we recommend considering the following factors as well.
- Verify pre-employment testing/competency is performed for each CTR employed by the consulting company
- Verify General Liability, Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) and workers compensation is maintained by the consulting company
- Verify liability & workers compensation coverage by requesting certificates from the consulting company
- Verify required HIPAA training for each individual assigned to the project
- Verify a criminal background check, Medicare Integrity check, and ID Verification to meet HiTech requirements is available
- Verify compliance with HIPAA and HITECH under the Final Rule with required policies and procedures
Continued use of a Consultant with a RPI management support plan ensures quality work continues to be performed by onsite staff members long past the consultant working day to day with a client. The management support plan includes quality data reports and status updates quarterly to ensure a program continues to maintain their compliance.
Please contact Linda Reimers at lindareimers@registrypartners.com for more information on continued management support plans.