Pulmonary artery catheterization

Transcription

1 Procedure 42 Clinical PRIVILEGE WHITE PAPER Background Pulmonary artery catheterization Pulmonary artery catheterization (PAC), also known as the Swan-Ganz or right heart catheterization, is a procedure commonly used to measure pressures in the heart and large blood vessels, according to the American Thoracic Society. During the procedure, a balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheter is inserted through a specialized central venous catheter and guided through the chambers of the heart and into the pulmonary artery. In most cases, this procedure is used when organs are at risk for failure. Some reasons for PAC include: Low blood pressure Kidney abnormalities Lung water (pulmonary edema) Heart abnormalities The central venous catheter can be inserted through the neck, arm, chest, or thigh vein, and then maneuvered through the right side of the heart. The doctor must also determine whether the risks of the procedure outweigh the benefits. Some risks of central venous catheterization include pain during placement, collapsed lung, infection, bleeding, clotting around the catheter, and air entering the catheter. Placement of a catheter though the pulmonary artery can include complications such as heart rhythm abnormalities or rupture of the pulmonary artery. For more information, please see the following Clinical Privilege White Papers: Specialties: Anesthesiology Practice area 125 Internal medicine Practice area 135 Subspecialties: Cardiology Practice area 126 Interventional cardiology Practice area 404 Critical care medicine Practice area 129 Pulmonary disease Practice area 143 Involved specialties Internists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, critical care physicians, and pulmonologists A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

2 Positions of specialty boards ABIM The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) offers subspecialty certification in cardiovascular disease. Physicians must meet the following requirements in order to become certified: Be previously certified in internal medicine by ABIM Complete a minimum of 36 months of graduate medical education and fellowship training in cardiovascular disease Demonstrate clinical competence, procedural skills, and moral and ethical behavior in the clinical setting Hold a valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine Pass the cardiovascular disease certification examination ABIM requires 36 months of training in cardiovascular disease, including 24 months of clinical training. Arterial catheter insertion and right heart catheterization are among the procedures required during training, although the specific number of procedures is not identified. ABIM also offers subspecialty certification in pulmonary disease, which includes the same general requirements as certification in cardiovascular disease, except candidates must pass the pulmonary disease certification exam. Candidates are required to have 24 months of training, including 12 months of clinical training. Placement of arterial, central venous, and pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheters, as well as supervision of the technical aspects of pulmonary function testing, are among the procedures required for certification. ABIM offers certification in critical care medicine through three pathways. Pathway A requires the following: Two years of accredited fellowship training in a subspecialty of internal medicine (three years for cardiovascular disease and gastroenterology), including care of patients in critical care units Certification by ABIM in the subspecialty One year of accredited clinical fellowship training in critical care medicine Pathway B requires the following: Two years of accredited fellowship training in critical care medicine, including 12 months of full-time clinical training, within the Department of Medicine Pathway C requires the following: Two years of fellowship training in advanced general internal medicine that includes at least six months of critical care medicine One year of accredited fellowship training in critical care medicine within the Department of Medicine 2 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

3 Candidates can also achieve dual certification in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine by completing a minimum of three years of combined training, including 18 months of clinical training. Certification in pulmonary disease must be achieved before the candidate is eligible to apply to the critical care medicine examination. For Pathways A and C, candidates need 12 months of training, all of which is clinical training. Pathway B candidates require 24 months of training, including 12 months of clinical training. Placement of arterial, central venous, and pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheters are among the required procedures during training. ABIM also certifies physicians in the subspecialty of interventional cardiology. ABIM requires 12 months of clinical fellowship training in interventional cardiology to qualify for certification. During that training, candidates must have performed at least 250 therapeutic interventional cardiac procedures, which are documented in a case list and attested to by the program director. In order to receive credit for completion of an interventional cardiac procedure, fellows must meet the following requirements: Participate in procedural planning, including indications for the procedure and the selection of appropriate procedures or instruments. Perform critical technical manipulations of the case. (Regardless of how many manipulations are performed in any one case, each case may count as only one procedure.) Be substantially involved in postprocedural management of the case. Be supervised by the faculty member responsible for the procedure. (Only one fellow can receive credit for each case even if others were present.) ABA The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) does not publish requirements specific to PAC. AOBIM The American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine (AOBIM) certifies physicians in the subspecialty of cardiology and provides a certificate of added qualifications in interventional cardiology. Candidates for added qualifications certification in interventional cardiology must have three years of American Osteopathic Association (AOA) approved subspecialty training in cardiology followed by one year of training in interventional cardiology in an AOA- or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program. During interventional cardiology training candidates must have participated in a minimum of 300 cardiac interventional procedures and serve as the primary operator in a minimum of 200 of these cases, which must be attested to by the training program director. A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 3

4 AOBA The American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology (AOBA) does not publish requirements specific to PAC. Positions of societies, academies, colleges, and associations ACCF In 2008, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) published a task force training statement entitled Task Force 3: Training in Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization, which was endorsed by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. ACCF divides training into three levels that cover diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization. All levels must be fully accredited by the ACGME. For Level 1 and 2 training in diagnostic cardiac catheterization, if the program does not include training in interventional cardiology, exposure to an active interventional cardiology program should be provided. Training should include indications and contraindications for the procedures, pre- and post-procedure care, management of complications, and analysis and interpretation of the hemodynamic and angiographic data. Levels of training are categorized as follows: Level 1 (minimum of four months in the cardiac catheterization lab): Trainees practice noninvasive cardiology and invasive activities confined to the critical care unit. Training will also include indications for the procedure and the accurate interpretation of data obtained in the catheterization laboratory. Trainees must perform a minimum of 100 diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures. Level 2 (minimum of eight months in the cardiac catheterization lab over a three-year period): Trainees practice diagnostic but not interventional catheterization. Trainees must perform a minimum of 300 diagnostic catheterization procedures. Level 3: Trainees practice diagnostic and interventional catheterization during the fourth year of fellowship, dedicated primarily to cardiovascular interventional training. Trainees must participate in a minimum of 250 coronary procedures. All cardiologists need to have Level 1 training, which includes technical training in performing right heart catheterization using a balloon flotation catheter. ACC/AHA/ACP/SCAI/SVMB/SVS A document entitled ACC/ACP/SCAI/SVMB/SVS Clinical Competence Statement on Vascular Medicine and Catheter-Based Peripheral Vascular Interventions was released in 2004 by the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Physicians (ACP) Task Force, in conjunction with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology (SVMB), and the Society 4 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

5 for Vascular Surgery (SVS). The document covers training requirements for vascular medicine and catheter-based peripheral vascular interventions, including performance of catheter intervention of the pulmonary artery. This particular procedure requires knowledge of pulmonary vascular anatomy, including etiology, pathophysiology, and natural history of diseases affecting the right ventricular outflow tract, pulmonary valve, and pulmonary arteries, such as pulmonary embolism, congenital anomalies, and vasculitis. Technical skills include the ability to safely gain venous access and achieve venous hemos tasis at the end of the procedure. The interventionalist should also be able to measure and interpret cardiac and pulmonary hemodynamic parameters and perform high-quality pulmonary artery angiography. Minimum skills also include familiarity with appropriate catheter shapes and sizes, guide wires, balloon catheters, and stents. Physicians should also be able to perform catheter-directed thrombolysis and thrombectomy procedures. The competence statement indicates that catheter-based interventions are currently performed by individuals with formal training in interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, and vascular surgery. The following are formal training requirements to achieve competence in peripheral catheter-based interventions: Cardiovascular physicians: 12 months of training 300 diagnostic coronary angiograms (200 as primary operator) 100 diagnostic peripheral angiograms (50 as primary operator) 50 peripheral interventional cases (25 as primary operator) Interventional radiologists: 12 months of training 100 diagnostic peripheral angiograms (50 as primary operator) 50 peripheral interventional cases (25 as primary operator) Vascular surgeons: 12 months of training 100 diagnostic peripheral angiograms (50 as primary operator) 50 peripheral interventional cases (25 as primary operator) 10 aortic aneurysm endografts (five as primary operator) To maintain competence, physicians must remain up to date in peripheral vascular disease management and techniques. According to the guidelines, technical skills should be maintained via performance of at least 25 peripheral vascular intervention cases annually and with documentation of favorable outcomes and minimal complications. ASA The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) published Practice Guidelines for Pulmonary Artery Catheterization in In the guidelines, ASA addresses the A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 5

6 issue of provider competency and training involving both technical and cognitive skills acquired in residency and fellowship programs. However, ASA cites several studies in which a significant portion of providers could not correctly answer questions about PAC. Because PA catheterization by persons who have not maintained these skills is potentially harmful to patients and could threaten the acceptability of the procedure, it is important for the profession to periodically assess technical and cognitive performance. ASA recommends evaluating clinical outcomes of providers as well as use of observation and quality data in order to obtain meaningful competency information. All providers who do PAC should undergo high-quality, supervised training to establish competency. ASA notes that the ACC, AHA, and ACP say that at least 25 procedures must be performed to acquire technical and cognitive skills in hemodynamic monitoring. However, variable levels of experience are required to establish competency, so hospitals should establish minimum requirements for establishing competency in PAC. The number of procedures to maintain competency also varies, ranging from 10 to as many as 50. The wide variation in requirements reflects, in part, the absence of good data to inform such policies, ASA says, therefore it recommends basing cognitive and technical requirements on the ACC/AHA/ACP cognitive and technical requirements in conjunction with individual hospital policies. AOA The AOA publishes Basic Standards for Residency Training in Internal Medicine, as well as standards for the subspecialty fellowships of internal medicine. According to the AOA, residencies in internal medicine must be 36 months long and cover a broad spectrum of medical issues and procedures. According to Specific Basic Standards for Fellowship Training in Cardiology, the subspecialty of cardiology is a 36-month fellowship that focuses on the sciences of cardiovascular medicine, including training and experience in right and left heart catheterization. The fellow must participate in 100 diagnostic cardiac catheterizations during the fellowship. According to Specific Basic Standards for Fellowship Training in Critical Care Medicine, critical care medicine fellowships are 24 months long after completion of an internal medicine residency or after any medicine subspecialty fellowship except cardiology, pulmonary, or nephrology. Critical care fellowships are 12 months long if the candidate has completed a cardiology, pulmonary, or nephrology fellowship, or an emergency medicine/internal medicine residency. During these fellowships the fellow must become competent in insertion of central venous, arterial, and pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheters. 6 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

7 According to Specific Basic Standards for Fellowship Training in Interventional Cardiology, fellowships in interventional cardiology are 12 months in duration after completion of a three-year general cardiology fellowship. Eleven of those 12 months must be spent in the interventional cardiology laboratory. Fellows must gain knowledge of indications for urgent catheterization in patients with acute coronary syndromes, indications for proper technical placement of intraaortic balloon counterpulsation devices, and the selection and use of vascular access devices, guiding catheters, guide wires, and balloon catheters. Fellows must perform a minimum of 400 interventional procedures and function as the primary operator in no fewer than 250 of those cases. According to Specific Basic Standards for Fellowship Training in Pulmonary Diseases, fellowships in pulmonary diseases are 24 months long, and fellows must gain knowledge in pulmonary vascular diseases, including primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension, vasculitis, and pulmonary hemorrhage syndromes. Fellows must also have training in pulmonary artery balloon catheterization, including indications, contraindications, complications, limitations, interpretation, and evidence of competent performance. According to Specific Basic Standards for Fellowship Training in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, fellowships in pulmonary/critical care medicine are 36 months long and include training in pulmonary vascular diseases, including p rimary and secondary pulmonary hypertension, vasculitis, and pulmonary hemorrhage syndromes. Fellows must also have training in pulmonary artery balloon catheterization, including indications, contraindications, complications, limitations, interpretation, and evidence of competent performance. ACGME The ACGME publishes ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Internal Medicine, which includes requirements for accredited residency programs for internal medicine. Internal medicine residencies are three years long, with a broad education in critical care, exposure to internal medicine subspecialties and neurology, geriatric medicine, experience in psychiatry, allergy/immunology, dermatology, medical ophthalmology, office gynecology, otorhinolaryngology, nonoperative orthopedics, palliative medicine, sleep medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and emergency medicine. Residents should have a broad knowledge of areas related to internal medicine, including sufficient knowledge to do the following: Evaluate patients with an undiagnosed and undifferentiated presentation Treat medical conditions commonly managed by internists Provide basic preventive care Interpret basic clinical tests and images Recognize and provide initial management of emergency medical problems A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 7

8 Use common pharmacotherapy Appropriately use and perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures ACGME also offers a number of subspecialty fellowships that expand the specific training of internal medicine residents and focus on heart-related procedures. The following fellowships cover PAC procedures. According to ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Cardiovascular Disease, a cardiovascular disease fellowship should be 36 months, during which fellows must perform a minimum of 100 catheterizations, including right and left heart catheterization and coronary arteriography, and demonstrate knowledge of a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Critical care medicine fellowships should be 24 months, according to ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Critical Care Medicine. According to these requirements, fellows are eligible at the F1 level if they have completed an ACGME-accredited internal medicine program or an ACGME-accredited emergency medicine program. To be eligible at the F2 level, fellows must have completed a two- or three-year ACGME-accredited internal medicine subspecialty fellowship. Fellows in critical care medicine must demonstrate competence in prevention and evaluation of patients with cardiovascular diseases in the critical care unit. They must also demonstrate competency in procedural and technical skills, including insertion of arterial, central venous, and pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheters. Fellowships in interventional cardiology are 12 months, according to ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Interventional Cardiology. Fellows must complete a three-year cardiovascular disease program prior to enrollment and must demonstrate competence in the performance of coronary interventions, including application and usage of balloon angioplasty, stents, and other commonly used interventional devices. Each fellow must perform at least 250 coronary interventions. According to ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pulmonary Medicine, fellowships should be 24 months in duration. Fellows must complete a three-year residency in internal medicine prior to enrollment and must demonstrate competence in prevention, evaluation, and management of patients with pulmonary vascular disease, including primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension. Fellows must also demonstrate competence in procedures including pulmonary function tests and the insertion of arterial, central venous, and pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheters. Pulmonary/critical care fellowships should be 36 months, according to ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pulmonary/Critical Care 8 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

9 Medicine. Fellows must complete a three-year residency in internal medicine prior to enrollment and must demonstrate competence in treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease in the critical care unit, hypertensive emergencies, and pulmonary vascular disease, including primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension and the vasculitis and pulmonary hemorrhage syndromes. Fellows must also demonstrate procedural and technical competence in pulmonary function tests and insertion of arterial, center venous, and pulmonary artery balloon catheters. ACGME publishes ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Anesthesiology, which includes requirements for anesthesiology residencies, which is 36 months in duration. During the program, residents must provide care for at least 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the majority of which must involve the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, and 20 patients undergoing noncardiac intrathoracic surgery, including pulmonary surgery. There are no specific requirements for how many PACs residents should perform during their training. ACGME also publishes ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, which includes requirements for adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowships, which are one year in length in which fellows should develop skills in the conduct of preoperative patient evaluation and interpretation of cardiovascular and pulmonary diagnostic test data. Each fellow should have patient care experience in the anesthetic treatment of adult patients for cardiac catheterization, the majority of which should be obtained in non operating room environments to encourage multidisciplinary interaction. ACGME-accredited fellowships in anesthesiology should be one year in length and specifically involve the placement and management of arterial, central venous, and pulmonary arterial catheters. Positions of subject matter experts Ehrin Armstrong, MD San Francisco PAC is a relatively routine procedure that is performed by a broad range of physicians from cardiologists and interventional cardiologists, to critical care doctors, pulmonary doctors, or anesthesiologists. Mostly, however, this procedure is performed by anesthesiologists and interventional cardiologists, says Ehrin Armstrong, MD, an interventional cardiology fellow in the Mentored Clinical Research Training Program at the University of California Davis in San Francisco. PAC is typically incorporated into cardiology educational programs, where fellows gain experience performing the procedure in the cardiac catheter lab. Most cardiology fellows perform more than 100 PACs during their fellowship, A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 9

10 Armstrong says. However, because PAC is performed by so many different areas of medicine, hospitals don t usually require a specific number of procedures in order to be granted privileges. Many hospitals only require a small number (around 10) of PAC procedures. I think there are some people that do it on a very routine basis in a very controlled setting, in the cath lab, where we have a lot of other tools like fluoroscopy available to do the procedure, but it can also range to people like critical care doctors in the intensive care unit performing a PAC at the bedside, Armstrong says. So that can make it a very different type of procedure because you don t necessarily have all those other tools there to make it as safe as possible. Some hospitals may implement a policy that PAC may only be performed in the operating room or the cath lab, which limits the number and type of physicians who can perform the procedure. Pulmonary artery catheters are sometimes left in the patient for a couple of days to monitor internal pressures, which often means the procedure is regulated to the ICU. During residency and fellowship training, practitioners will generally begin with observation, move to supervision, and then, after doing procedures under supervision, will perform the procedure independently while a proctor is in the room. PAC procedures have a lower associated risk than other cardiology procedures, so they are easier to perform and have a shorter learning curve. Armstrong says he s not aware of any specific number of procedures to achieve competency, but physicians are usually proctored for five to 10 cases when initially privileged. There are no specific numbers for maintaining competency either, but Armstrong suggests one to two PAC procedures per month or each year is a sufficient amount. During the privileging process Armstrong also suggests adding a requirement for ultrasound in conjunction with all PAC procedures, which offers safer outcomes according to PAC guidelines. Ultrasound is routinely available and it really makes for a safer procedure, but a lot of physicians that learned without ultrasound don t do the procedure with ultrasound, Armstrong says. Implementing this requirement into your hospital bylaws may require some physicians to get updated training on how to incorporate ultrasound techniques before being reprivileged. George Stouffer, MD Chapel Hill, N.C. Although PAC is performed by a wide range of physicians, they should have some educational background in which they have performed the procedure 10 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

11 and acquired medical knowledge about it before being privileged at a hospital, says George Stouffer, MD, distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina and interventional cardiologist at the University of North Carolina Heart Center in Chapel Hill. Pulmonary, cardiology, anesthesiology, and critical care all offer broad fellowships that cover PAC procedures. Although there are no guidelines for who is most qualified to perform the procedure, physicians must come out of a training program that covers PAC procedures, and that teaches residents how to perform PAC and interpret the results, according to Stouffer. Compared to more intense procedures like percutaneous coronary interventions, PAC procedures are much less well defined by national organizations; therefore, it s up to individual hospitals to determine how physicians should be judged in terms of competency for initial privileging and reprivileging every two years. I ve never seen a number put out by any national guidelines committee on that, Stouffer says. However, for privileging and reprivileging for PAC, physicians need to demonstrate that they can perform the procedure and know how to appropriately handle any complications and care for the patient before and after the procedure. Positions of accreditation bodies CMS CMS has no formal position concerning the delineation of privileges for PAC. However, the CMS Conditions of Participation (CoP) define a requirement for a criteria-based privileging process in (c)(6) stating, The bylaws must include criteria for determining the privileges to be granted to individual practitioners and a procedure for applying the criteria to individuals requesting privileges (a)(6) states, The governing body must assure that the medical staff bylaws describe the privileging pro cess. The process articulated in the bylaws, rules or regula tions must include criteria for determining the privileges that may be granted to individual practitioners and a procedure for applying the criteria to individual practitioners that considers: Individual character Individual competence Individual training Individual experience Individual judgment A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 11

12 The governing body must ensure that the hospital s bylaws governing medical staff membership or the granting of privileges apply equally to all practitioners in each professional category of practitioners. Specific privileges must reflect activi ties that the majority of prac titioners in that category can perform competently and that the hospital can support. Privileges are not granted for tasks, procedures, or activities that are not conducted within the hospital, regardless of the practitioner s ability to perform them. Each practitioner must be individually evaluated for requested privileges. It cannot be assumed that every practitioner can perform every task, activity, or privilege specific to a specialty, nor can it be assumed that the practitioner should be automatically granted the full range of privileges. The individual practitioner s ability to perform each task, activity, or privilege must be individually assessed. CMS also requires that the organization have a process to ensure that practitioners granted privileges are work ing within the scope of those privileges. CMS CoPs include the need for a periodic appraisal of practitioners appointed to the medical staff/granted medical staff privileges ( [a][1]). In the absence of a state law that establishes a time frame for the periodic appraisal, CMS recommends that an appraisal be conducted at least every 24 months. The purpose of the periodic appraisal is to determine whether clinical privileges or membership should be continued, discontinued, revised, or otherwise changed. The Joint Commission The Joint Commission has no formal position concerning the delineation of privileges for PAC. However, in its Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, The Joint Commission states, The hospital collects information regarding each practitioner s current license status, training, experience, competence, and ability to perform the requested privilege (MS ). In the introduction for MS , The Joint Commission states that there must be a reliable and consistent system in place to process applications and verify credentials. The organized medical staff must then review and evaluate the data collected. The resultant privilege recommendations to the governing body are based on the assessment of the data. The Joint Commission introduces MS by stating, The organized medical staff is respon sible for planning and implementing a privileging process. It goes on to state that this process typically includes: Developing and approving a pro cedures list Processing the application Evaluating applicant-specific information Submitting recommendations to the governing body for applicant-specific 12 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

13 delineated privileges Notifying the applicant, relevant personnel, and, as required by law, external entities of the privi leging decision Monitoring the use of privileges and quality-of-care issues MS further states, The decision to grant or deny a privilege(s) and/or to renew an existing privilege(s) is an objective, evidence-based process. The EPs for standard MS include several requirements as follows: The need for all licensed independent practitioners who provide care, treatment, and services to have a current license, certification, or registration, as required by law and regulation Established criteria as recommended by the organized medical staff and approved by the governing body with specific evaluation of current licensure and/or certification, specific relevant training, evidence of physical ability, professional practice review data from the applicant s current organization, peer and/or faculty recommendation, and a review of the practitioner s performance within the hospital (for renewal of privileges) Consistent application of criteria A clearly defined (documented) procedure for processing clinical privilege requests that is approved by the organized medical staff Documentation and confirmation of the applicant s statement that no health problems exist that would affect his or her ability to perform privileges requested A query of the NPDB for initial privileges, renewal of privileges, and when a new privilege is requested Written peer recommendations that address the practitioner s current medical/clinical knowledge, technical and clinical skills, clinical judgment, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and professionalism A list of specific challenges or concerns that the organized medical staff must evaluate prior to recommending privileges (MS , EP 9) A process to determine whether there is sufficient clinical performance information to make a decision related to privileges A decision (action) on the completed application for privileges that occurs within the time period specified in the organization s medical staff bylaws Information regarding any changes to practitioners clinical privileges, updated as they occur The Joint Commission further states, The organized medical staff reviews and analyzes information regarding each requesting practitioner s current licensure status, training, experience, current competence, and ability to perform the requested privilege (MS ). In the EPs for standard MS , The Joint Commission states that the information review and analysis process is clearly defined and that the decision process must be timely. The organization, based on recommendations by the A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 13

14 organized medical staff and approval by the governing body, develops criteria that will be considered in the decision to grant, limit, or deny a request for privileges. The criteria must be consistently applied and directly relate to the quality of care, treatment, and services. Ultimately, the governing body or delegated governing body has the final authority for granting, renewing, or denying clinical privileges. Privileges may not be granted for a period beyond two years. Criteria that determine a practitioner s ability to provide patient care, treatment, and services within the scope of the privilege(s) requested are consistently evaluated. The Joint Commission further states, Ongoing professional practice evaluation information is factored into the decision to maintain existing privilege(s), to revise existing privileges, or to revoke an existing privilege prior to or at the time of renewal (MS ). In the EPs for MS , The Joint Commission says there is a clearly defined process facilitating the evaluation of each practitioner s professional practice, in which the type of information collected is determined by individual departments and approved by the organized medical staff. Information resulting from the ongoing professional practice evaluation is used to determine whether to continue, limit, or revoke any existing privilege. HFAP The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) has no formal position concerning the delineation of privileges for PAC. The bylaws must include the criteria for determining the privileges to be granted to the individual practitioners and the procedure for applying the criteria to individuals requesting privileges ( ). Privileges are granted based on the medical staff s review of an individual practitioner s qualifications and its recommendation regarding that individual practitioner to the governing body. It is also required that the organization have a process to ensure that practitioners granted privileges are working within the scope of those privileges. Privileges must be granted within the capabilities of the facility. For example, if an organization is not capable of performing open-heart surgery, no physician should be granted that privilege. In the explanation for standard related to membership selection criteria, HFAP states, Basic criteria listed in the bylaws, or the credentials manual, include the items listed in this standard. (Emphasis is placed on training and competence in the requested privileges.) The bylaws also define the mechanisms by which the clinical departments, if 14 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

15 applicable, or the medical staff as a whole establish criteria for specific privilege delineation. Periodic appraisals of the suitability for membership and clinical privileges is required to determine whether the individual practitioner s clinical privileges should be approved, continued, discontinued, revised, or otherwise changed ( ). The appraisals are to be conducted at least every 24 months. The medical staff is accountable to the governing body for the quality of medical care provided, and quality assessment and performance improvement ( ) information must be used in the process of evaluating and acting on re-privileging and reappointment requests from members and other credentialed staff. DNV DNV has no formal position concerning the delineation of privileges for PAC. MS.12 Standard Requirement (SR) #1 states, The medical staff bylaws shall include criteria for determining the privileges to be granted to individual practitioners and a procedure for applying the criteria to those individuals that request privileges. The governing body shall ensure that under no circumstances is medical staff membership or professional privileges in the organization dependent solely upon certification, fellowship, or membership in a specialty body or society. Regarding the Medical Staff Standards related to Clinical Privileges (MS.12), DNV requires specific provisions within the medical staff bylaws for: The consideration of automatic suspension of clinical privileges in the following circumstances: revocation/restriction of licensure; revocation, suspension, or probation of a DEA license; failure to maintain professional liability insurance as specified; and noncompliance with written medical record delinquency/deficiency requirements Immediate and automatic suspension of clinical privileges due to the termination or revocation of the practitioner s Medicare/Medicaid status Fair hearing and appeal The Interpretive Guidelines also state that core privileges for general surgery and surgical subspecialties are acceptable as long as the core is properly defined. DNV also requires a mechanism (outlined in the bylaws) to ensure that all individuals provide services only within the scope of privileges granted (MS.12, SR.4). Clinical privileges (and appointments or reappointments) are for a period as defined by state law or, if permitted by state law, not to exceed three years (MS.12, SR.2). Individual practitioner performance data must be measured, utilized, and A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 15

16 evaluated as a part of the decision-making for appointment and reappointment. Although not specifically stated, this would apply to the individual practitioner s respective delineation of privilege requests. CRC draft criteria The following draft criteria are intended to serve solely as a starting point for the development of an institution s policy regarding this procedure. Minimum threshold criteria for requesting privileges in PAC Basic education: MD or DO Minimal formal training: Successful completion of an ACGME- or AOAapproved training program in internal medicine, anesthesiology, cardiology, interventional cardiology, critical care medicine, or pulmonary disease. Required current experience: Current demonstrated competence and evidence of the performance, as the primary operator, of at least 25 PACs in the past 12 months or completion of training in the past 12 months. References If the applicant is recently trained, a letter of reference should come from the director of the applicant s training program. Alternatively, a letter of reference may come from the applicable department chair and/or clinical service chief at the facility where the applicant most recently practiced. Reappointment Reappointment should be based on unbiased, objective results of care according to a hospital s quality assurance mechanism. Applicants must demonstrated that they have maintained competence by providing evidence of the performance of at least 50 PACs in the past 24 months based on the results of ongoing professional practice evaluation and outcomes. In addition, continuing education related to PAC should be required. For more information Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 515 North State Street, Suite 2000 Chicago, IL Telephone: Fax: Website: 16 A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12

17 American Board of Internal Medicine 510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA Telephone: Fax: Website: American College of Cardiology 2400 N Street NW Washington DC, Telephone: , Ext Fax: Website: American College of Physicians 190 N Independence Mall West Philadelphia, PA Telephone: Website: American Heart Association 7272 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX Telephone: Website: American Osteopathic Association 142 E Ontario Street Chicago, IL Telephone: or Fax: Website: American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine 1111 W 17th Street Tulsa, OK Website: American Society of Anesthesiologists 520 N. Northwest Highway Park Ridge, IL Telephone: Fax: Website: A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12 17

18 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD Telephone: Website: DNV Healthcare, Inc. 400 Techne Center Drive, Suite 350 Milford, OH Telephone: Website: Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program 142 E. Ontario Street Chicago, IL Telephone: Website: The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL Telephone: Fax: Website: Editorial Advisory Board Clinical Privilege White Papers Associate Editorial Director: Erin Callahan, Managing Editor: Julie McCoy, William J. Carbone Chief Executive Officer American Board of Physician Specialties Atlanta, Ga. Darrell L. Cass, MD, FACS, FAAP Codirector, Center for Fetal Surgery Texas Children s Hospital Houston, Texas Jack Cox, MD Senior Vice President/Chief Quality Officer Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Newport Beach, Calif. Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD Cofounder and Chair Texas Back Institute Phoenix, Ariz. Bruce Lindsay, MD Professor of Medicine Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Mo. Sally J. Pelletier, CPCS, CPMSM Director of Credentialing Services The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc. Danvers, Mass. Beverly Pybus Senior Consultant The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc. Danvers, Mass. Richard A. Sheff, MD Chair and Executive Director The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc. Danvers, Mass. The information contained in this document is general. It has been designed and is intended for use by hospitals and their credentials committees in developing their own local approaches and policies for various credentialing issues. This information, including the materials, opinions, and draft criteria set forth herein, should not be adopted for use without careful consideration, discussion, additional research by physicians and counsel in local settings, and adaptation to local needs. The Credentialing Resource Center does not provide legal or clinical advice; for such advice, the counsel of competent individuals in these fields must be obtained. Reproduction in any form outside the recipient s institution is forbidden without prior written permission. Copyright 2012 HCPro, Inc., Danvers, MA A supplement to Credentialing Resource Center Journal /12