Aspects of preparing for a "no prior notice" regulatory audit

The Joint Commission, as well as CMS and other regulatory agencies, no longer give prior notice before arriving. Institutions are now required to be compliant-ready 24 hours a day. In this article the authors review what it takes to become truly 24 by 7 compliant. This includes easy access to documents, instituting a process to ensure that the documentation is current, formulating policy review procedures, instituting a regimented physical security system testing program, and most importantly, drafting a process that will ensure continuous readiness. The key to the successful implementation of a readiness program, they say, is the development of monitoring processes which will ensure that the program is in compliance at all times.