After reviewing 92 Veterans Health Administrationcommunity based outpatient clinicsduring fiscal 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general has made several recommendations designed to improve the quality of care and management.
For example, it recommended that CBOC clinicians better document care for diabetic patients in the electronic health record.The IG called on CBOC managers to establish a process to consistently link breast imaging and mammography results to the appropriate radiology mammogram or breast study order for all fee basis and contract patients, and establish a process to notify patients of normal mammogram results within the allotted timeframe and that notification is documented in the electronic health record.
The IG also called for better documentation for privileging or re-privileging CBOC providers, and said VHA should ensure adequate resources and controls are in place to address deficiencies in the invoice validation process and to reduce the risk of overpayments. VHA concurred with the recommendations.