Access to Care and

Continuity of Care (ACC)

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WHAT IS MEANT BY BOTH TERMS?
ACCESS TO CARE
All insurance are accepted.
Changes in insurance are
actively accommodated.
Practice is accessible by public
transportation, where available.
Families are able to reach directly
to the facility when needed (24
hours/d, 7 days/wk, 52 wks/yr)
The practice is physically
accessible and meets public
requirements.
CONTINUITY OF CARE
maintenance of comprehensive
central record that contains all
pertinent information
Facility provides continuous care
for transfer and after discharge
from the facility
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Why are we here?

1 2 3
To know a little To conduct a To fulfil criteria
information better practice of JCIA
about the ACC for health care reaccreditation
chapter provision.

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 Overview
A health care organization should consider the care
it provides as part of an integrated system of
services.
The goal of this system is to:
match the patients health care needs with the
services available.

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coordinate the services provided to the patient.
plan for discharge and follow-up.

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 So. what is the result?
The result is improved:
Patient care.
Patient outcomes.
More efficient use of available resources.

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 ACCESS TO CARE
(ADMISSION TO ORGANIZATION)

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ELEMENTS OF THE CHAPTER
Admission to the Organization

Continuity of Care.

Discharge, Referral, and Follow-Up

Transfer of Patients

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Transportation

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So, to be easy to understand the contents of
this chapter we will listen to this story:
Few days in Zahra life in our facility Related standards:
Madam Zahra brought by family to ask Access to care
for medical advice through ER
Been aramco listed. Access to care
Admission decided according to her Admission to organization
needs confirming the priority items and
the facility mission.
ACC 1
Admitted to regular ward.
ACC 1.2

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Care plan and proposed outcome
explained to family
All barriers detected are bypassed ACC 1.3

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So, to be easy to understand the contents of this
chapter we will listen to this story:

Few days in Zahra life in our facility Related standards:

One day later, patient suffered from medical ACC 1.4
condition that need to be shifted to other ACC 2
intra-organization areas.
Treating physician still in command care ACC 2.1
The case endorsed well by well documented ACC 2.1
file workup
The patient and her family asked for referral
ACC 3
to other facility

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Family counselled for the proposed care plan
after referral and they are thinking to go ACC 1.2
DAMA ACC 3.3
ACC 3.5

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So, to be easy to understand the contents of this
chapter we will listen to this story:
Report prepared based upon clinical assessment ACC 3.2
and include all significant history of our patient
Patient will be transferred to this facility based ACC 4
upon her needs and their mission ACC 4.1
Sending the report to receiving facility and care ACC 4.2
plan approved and accepted
Discharge summary wrote and kept in our patient
file ACC 3.2
Transfer summary wrote and sent to receiving ACC 3.2
facility.
Qualified team matching the patient needs will ACC 4.3
transfer the patient ACC 4.4

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With full medical records with transfer summary
Patient been transported to the receiving facility ACC 5
by our facility according the patient needs

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 Organization
1. Admission to the

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1. Admission to the Organization

ACC.1
Patients are admitted to receive inpatient care
or
registered for outpatient services

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based on their identified health care needs
and the organizations mission and
resources.

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1. Admission to the Organization
ACC.1.1 The
ACC.1.1.1 Patients with emergent, urgent,
organization has a or immediate needs are given priority for
process for: assessment and treatment.

ACC.1.1.2 Patient needs for preventive,

Admitting inpatients palliative, curative and rehabilitative
services are prioritized based on the patients
and condition at the time of admission as an
inpatient to the organization.

For registering ACC.1.1.3 The organization considers the

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clinical needs of patients when there are
outpatients. waiting periods or delays for diagnostic
and/or treatment services

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1. Admission to the Organization

ACC.1.2
At admission as an inpatient, patients and families receive
information on:
the proposed care,
the expected outcomes of that care, and
any expected cost to the patient for the care.
ACC.1.3
The organization seeks to reduce physical, language, cultural,

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and other barriers to access and delivery of services.
ACC.1.4
Admission or transfer to or from units providing intensive or
specialized services is determined by established criteria.

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 CARE
2.CONTINUITY OF

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2.CONTINUITY OF CARE:
ACC.2
The organization designs and carries out its own
processes
why?
provide continuity of patient care services in the organization .
and coordination among health care providers.
ACC.2.1

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During all phases of inpatient care there is a qualified
individual identified as responsible for the patients care.

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 Follow-Up
3.Discharge,
Referral, and

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 3.Discharge, Referral, and Follow-Up

ACC.3.1 The appropriate referrals (written

ACC.3 acceptance form?).
There is a policy
ACC.3.2 the clinical records and the
guiding discharge summary.
the referral or
ACC.3.2.1 The discharge summary of
discharge of inpatients is complete.
patients.
ACC.3.3 the clinical records

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ACC.3.4 (Discharge prescription)

ACC.3.5 The patients who leave against
medical advice.(OVR and DAMA FORMAT)

Client name/ Presentation Name/ 12pt - 18

3.Discharge, Referral, and Follow-Up
ACC.3.1 The organization cooperates with health care practitioners and outside agencies to
ensure timely and appropriate referrals.

ACC.3.2 the clinical records of inpatients contain a copy of the discharge summary.

ACC.3.2.1 The discharge summary of inpatients is complete.

ACC.3.3 the clinical records of outpatients receiving continuing care contain a summary
of
All known significant diagnoses,
Drug allergies,
Current medications, and
Any past surgical procedures and hospitalizations (transfer summary).

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ACC.3.4 Patients and their families are given understandable follow-up

instructions.

ACC.3.5 The organization has a process for the management and follow-up of patients who
leave against medical advice.

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 Patients
4.Transfer of

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4.Transfer of Patients:
ACC.4
Patients are transferred to other
organizations based on:
Status of the patient
Need to meet their continuing care
needs.

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4.Transfer of Patients:
ACC.4.1
The referring organization determines that the receiving organization can meet the
patients continuing care needs.
(COMMUNICATION)
ACC.4.2
The receiving organization is given a written summary of the patients clinical condition
and the interventions provided by the referring organization.
(Transfer summary)
ACC.4.3
During direct transfer, a qualified staff member monitors the patients condition.

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ACC.4.4

The transfer process is documented in the patients record.

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 of the patients
5.Transportation

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5.Transportation of the patients
ACC.5
The process for :
Referring,
Transferring, or
Discharging patients,
Both inpatients and outpatients,
includes planning needs to meet the

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patients transportation.
What does this mean?

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