The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) was established in 1980 to standardize and improve the quality of medical and surgical care in outpatient facilities and assure the public that patient safety is the top priority in an accredited facility (1). The AAAASF was originally known as the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Plastic Facilities (AAAASPF), as it only regulated the quality of outpatient plastic surgical facilities. In 1992, the AAAASPF morphed into its current form, recognizing the need for similar standards for all American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) surgeons who operated in single surgical or multispecialty ASCs and were board-certified, practicing within the scope of their specialty (2). The AAAASF now accredits thousands of international and domestic facilities, making it one of the largest not-for-profit accrediting organizations in the United States. Physicians, clinicians, legislators, state and national health agencies, and patients acknowledge that the AAAASF sets the “gold standard” for quality patient care (1).
AAAASF programs include outpatient surgical, procedural, oral maxillofacial, international surgical, rehabilitation, and dental. AAAASF is also approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to accredit ambulatory surgery centers, rehabilitation and outpatient physical therapy agencies, as well as rural health clinics (3). The AAAASF Accreditation Program requires 100% compliance with its standards to be an accredited facility, and each accreditation cycle is three years. The facility is expected to continue to meet the criteria during the entire time. A self-evaluation form is sent to the facility which completes it and self-reports compliance during the interim years between inspections, along with reporting the required peer review activities (4). An accredited facility will be fully equipped to perform procedures in the medical specialty or specialties listed on its accreditation application. After a survey, a facility will be given 30 days to correct any deficiencies cited. Once completed, all new facilities are sent to an accreditation committee for approval. After approval has been granted, accreditation will be activated, and the facility will be promptly notified. The entire process typically takes about 90 days (5). Accreditation represents a high level of attention to the details that make an ambulatory medical facility safer. The AAAASF has developed stringent, nationally recognized standards that are continuously reviewed and revised as new developments occur. Patient safety is never compromised when standards are amended (3).
The AAAASF International (AAAASF-I) program surveys and accredits clinics that exceed superior standards. Globally, there is a growing need and demand for uniform standards and practices to ensure quality health care and patient safety. The AAAASF-I is an accreditation program certifying to the medical and dental community and the general public that a facility meets internationally recognized standards (3). In 2015, the AAAASF-I received a 4-year approval from the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA), known as the “accreditor of accreditors.” ISQUA approval of AAAASF standards provides further evidence to ministries of health, patients, and health providers that the facilities using the AAAASF standards meet international requirements (3).
Improving safety is a never-ending task and a priority for ethical physicians. The AAAASF has played a significant role in the area in ambulatory surgery, especially plastic surgery. The future holds safer, better results which will be achieved through continued modifications of standards, research, evidence-based medicine, better data about outcomes, and by identifying the root causes of untoward results (2).
References
- Who We Are. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aaaasf.org/who-we-are/
- Robert Singer, Geoffrey R Keyes, Foad Nahai, American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF) History: Its Role in Plastic Surgery Safety, Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, Volume 1, Issue 2, June 2019, ojz008, https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojz008
- What Can AAAASF Do For You? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aaaasf.org/docs/default-source/news-events/for-the-media/information-packet.pdf
- 3 Different Organizations Can Accredit OBA Sites. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.apsf.org/article/3-different-organizations-can-accredit-oba-sites/#:~:text=The origin of AAAASF dates, specialties office-based surgery units
- Accreditation Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aaaasf.org/docs/default-source/news-events/for-the-media/fact-sheet-accreditation.pdf?sfvrsn=2