Define licensure, certification, registration, and accreditation
LEARNING OUTCOMES After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
LO 3. I Define licensure, certification, registration, and accreditation.
LO 3.2 Demonstrate an understanding of how physicians
are licensed, how physicians are regulated, and the purpose of a medical board.
LO 3.3 Discuss the changing configuration of health care management.
LO 3.4 Distinguish among the different types of managed care health plans.
LO 3.5 Discuss the federal legislation that impacts health care plans.
LO 3.6 Discuss the impact of telemedicine and social media on the health care workplace.
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LO 3.1
Define licensure, certification, registration, and accreditation.
licensure A mandatory credentialing process established by law, usual ly at the state level, that grants the right to practice certain skills and endeavors.
certification A voluntary credentia li ng process whereby applicants who meet specific requirements may receive a certificate.
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF . .. • – “”’l . – -rr-’11~ — ..- …….
MELODY, A CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT (CNA), works in a skilled nursing care facility caring for elderly patients. “I like the hands-on care,” she says, “and I love just visiting with my patients. They come from all walks of life, and some of them have traveled all over the world.”
The part of her job she dislikes the most, Melody adds, “is the demanding patients, who want everything right now. Demanding rel- atives can also be unreasonable. A daughter will tell me, ‘I want you to respond immediately whenever my mother calls for you.’ They don’t understand, or don’t care, that I have several patients to look after.”
Once, Melody recalls, several family members were visiting their elderly relative. “I walked in to check my patient, and one of his grand- daughters asked me to get her a soda. There was a vending machine in the visitors’ lounge, and I debated telling the woman I’m not a wait- ress, and she could get her own drink. I didn’t, though. I got her the drink, but I resented being asked to do it. I’m just a CNA, but I’m not there to wait on patients’ relatives.”
From Melody’s perspective, her job did not include providing refreshments for patients’ visitors.
From the demanding visitor’s perspective, perhaps Melody’s job is to serve all needs of anyone in the patient’s room.
Licensure, Certification, Registration, and Accreditation With increased medical specialization have come more exacting profes- sional requirements for health care practitioners. Members of the health care team today are usually licensed, registered, or certified to perform specific duties, depending on job classification and state requirements. Furthermore, programs for educating health care practitioners are often accredited. Accreditation is a process education programs may complete that ensures certain standards have been met. Managed care plans may also earn accreditation or certification for excellence.