ENAC has recently granted accreditation to ASHO A-2 as an assessing clinical coding inspection body, specifically, for coding of hospitalization periods. Thereby, ASHO A-2 becomes the first body in Spain accredited to carry out this activity.

Clinical coding is the process by which medical or clinical-care language is translated into a documented and standardized language, in this case, the one set out in the International Classification of Diseases manuals CIE10-ES Diagnósticos and CIE10-ES Procedimientos, and which is part of the Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD, Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos).

In the words of Ruth Cascó, ASHO A-2’s general manager, the accredited activity consists of "inspecting the clinical variables making up the Minimum Basic Data Set taking CIE regulations as a reference”.

According to Ruth Cascó, thanks to this accreditation, "hospitals can be assured and guaranteed that the assessments carried out by ASHO A-2 comply with international quality standards and that ASHO A-2 has the necessary technical competence to perform them and to offer reliable assessments”.

Accreditation: guarantee for diagnostic services for the patients' wellbeing

Achieving this first accreditation in Spain to carry out this activity assures ASHO-A2 general manager that, "it gives us, firstly, great satisfaction, and validates our methodologies and internal processes to carry out clinical coding audits. In relation to patients, they will be able to be assured and confident that the care periods collected in the Minimum Basic Data Set correctly reflect the reality of care and the decision-making source, such as the data (the clinical variables)”.