DNV Hospital Accreditation & Orthopedic Certifications

DNV Certifications: Hospital Accreditation and Centers of Excellence

Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare is a hospital accreditation organization originally started in 1864 in Norway as a maritime members association that guaranteed insurance for its members. Over time they have evolved and expanded to multiple sectors, and now serve as one of the longest-lived and most robust hospital accreditation companies in the US. Recognized by CMS in 2008 as a Deeming Authority (designated by CMS as a trustworthy healthcare accreditation organization), they have accredited nearly 500 hospitals across the United States. In terms of the accreditation process, they utilize the CMS Conditions of Participation along with the ISO 9001. They offer annual accreditation rather than every three years, which is meant to make it a more efficient process for participating hospitals. 

In addition to Hospital Accreditation, DNV offers a variety of certifications for specialty programs. For Orthopedics and Cardiac, they have full “Centers of Excellence”, which contain multiple service line certifications. Apart from these centers of excellence, they offer a number of stand-alone specialty certifications including stroke, palliative care, etc. To maintain accreditation, there is an annual survey conducted by a qualified DNV surveyor that audits activity within whichever service line programs you are using, across the continuum of care. The surveyor will have background, training, and experience specific to the care being given.

Orthopedic Center of Excellence

There are four (4) service line accreditations available within Orthopedics. Each service line can be either achieved on its own, or as a combination of 3 or more in order to achieve the Center of Excellence Certification. They are:

• Hip & Knee
• Foot & Ankle
• Shoulder
• Spine

While the accreditation survey process is consistent across specialties, which helps consistency and efficiency, each certification has its own set of requirements, which are freely available for download from DNV’s website. The orthopedic certification was created based on the recommendations and guidelines put forward by AAOS. Patient-reported outcomes are a factor in measuring quality for these certifications, and CODE Technology can help ensure hospitals meet this important measure. 

There are several other hospital accreditation organizations recognized by CMS (the full list can be viewed here). Although The Joint Commission accounts for 88% of hospital accreditations, DNV’s accreditation serves as an efficient and cost-effective alternative. They boast one of the most robust accreditation systems for Orthopedics in the country and are one of only a few that operate internationally. Its mission statement centers around enabling a broader culture change that continually improves performance and patient care, while being efficient enough in practice to enable providers to stay with their patients rather than checking a box.