The Basics

This standard requires that, before you delegate any function that is covered by your URAC accreditation program, you establish criteria to be used in your selection process for organizations to which you delegate that function.

This applies to anything under the scope of your URAC accreditation except network contracting.  If you don't delegate any URAC-relevant functions, this standard doesn't apply to your organization.

The delegation assessment need not consist of an on-site review.  Just make sure that all of your pre-delegation assessments comply with your policy and procedure on that topic.  In other words, if your P&P requires an on-site assessment, you must conduct one.  

Management Tips

The key here is not only to have a policy and procedure that covers pre-delegation assessment, but to have a systematic way of recording such assessments.  Documentation review audit sheets are a good example of such documentation.  It is also important to make sure that your contracting process for delegates doesn't have any leaks in it.  More than once, an applicant for accreditation has been tripped up by this standard when somebody in the company didn't get the memorandum, and entered into an agreement with a new delegate without using the required criteria or the standard delegation agreement described in Pharm Core 17.

This standard does not apply to contractors who are URAC-accredited for the functions you delegate to them.

URAC Accreditation Tips

This standard carries a weight of 3.

As you might expect, the initial documentation submitted should be be policy and procedure that prescribes pre-delegation assessment processes.  In addition, any templates used in the course of such assessments should also be submitted.

The on-site review for this and the subsequent delegation standards consists largely of a review of the delegation binders in an interview of staff members who are charged with delegation oversight.