§ 601.22. Agency evaluation and review.
(a) Annual policy review. Professional personnel, which include at least one physician and one registered nurse with appropriate representation from other professional disciplines, shall establish and annually review the agency’s policies governing scope of services offered, admission and discharge policies, medical supervision and plans of treatment, emergency scope of services offered, medical care, clinical records, personnel qualifications and program evaluation.
(b) Advisory and evaluation function. The group of professional personnel shall meet at least annually to advise the agency on professional issues, to participate in the evaluation of the agency’s program and to assist the agency in maintaining liaison with other health care providers in the community and in its community information program. Its meetings shall be documented by dated minutes.
(c) Annual program evaluation. The home health care agency shall have written policies requiring an overall evaluation of the agency’s total program at least once a year by the group of professional personnel or a committee of this group, home health care agency staff and consumers; or by professional people outside the agency working in conjunction with consumers. The evaluation shall consist of an overall policy and administrative review and a clinical record review. The evaluation shall assess the extent to which the agency’s program is appropriate, adequate, effective and efficient. Results of the evaluation shall be reported to and acted upon by those responsible for the operation of the agency and shall be maintained separately as administrative records. As a part of the evaluation process, the policies and administrative practices of the agency shall be reviewed to determine the extent to which they promote patient care that is appropriate, adequate, effective and efficient. Mechanisms shall be established in writing for the collection of pertinent data to assist in evaluation. The data to be considered may include, but are not limited to: Number of patients receiving each service offered, number of patient visits, reasons for discharge, breakdown by diagnosis, sources of referral, number of patients not accepted with reasons and total staff days for each service offered.
(d) Clinical record review. At least quarterly, appropriate health professionals, representing at least the scope of the program, shall review a sample of both active and closed clinical records to assure that established policies are followed in providing services—direct services as well as services under arrangement. There shall be a continuing review of clinical records for each 60-day period that a patient receives home health care services to determine adequacy of the plan of treatment and appropriateness of continuation of care.
Cross References This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 601.21 (relating to organization, services and administration).
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