The Spina Bifida Association (SBA), has established 10 standards for Spina Bifida Clinics to become Clinic Care Partners, based on our extensive research and expertise. These standards are approved by SBA’s Professional Advisory Committee and are aimed at promoting the best outcomes for individuals with Spina Bifida. Here are the 10 standards:

Standard 1: Your clinic delivers care to patients using the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida.

Standard 2: Your clinic must have a medical director from medical or surgical disciplines. If the medical director has a surgical background, the clinic must also demonstrate partnership with a provider from physiatry or medicine to ensure comprehensive care.

Standard 3: Your clinic must have a clinical care team that consists of a medical director and nurse or nurse practitioner at minimum.

Standard 4: Your clinic care team collaborates with identified care providers such as orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, urologists, neuropsychologists, physical and/or occupational therapists, social workers, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, dietitians, psychologists, wound care specialists, and others to comprehensively treat individuals with Spina Bifida.

Standard 5: Care is coordinated and integrated for each patient, through designated personnel available five days per week, during regular business hours. Coordination of care includes communication among providers, creation of a written plan of care, follow-up on medical testing, triage of patient calls, inter-professional training on care coordination, incorporation of performance measures, and development of a mechanism for urgent and emergency care during non-business hours.

Standard 6: Your clinic engages in activities that promote knowledge about the care of people with Spina Bifida, improvement of care, or both.

Standard 7: If your clinic serves newborns, you establish a relationship with prenatal Spina Bifida diagnosis programs and consult with families in a standardized manner.

Standard 8: Your clinic creates a Patient Advisory Committee, including patients and their families, within one year of this application. The Patient Advisory Committee meets regularly to advise the clinic on patient/family experiences and improvement opportunities, representing diversity in ethnicity, geography, and treatment modalities.

Standard 9: Your clinic has a documented program for transition preparation and execution within one year of this application.

Standard 10: Your clinic demonstrates support for the Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network (SBCCN) through participation in at least two of the following activities every year: using specific SBA resources, providing a speaker for SBA programs, participating in SBA committees or task forces, engaging in SBA activities, joining SBA’s listserv, or engaging in similar activities that support SBCCN.

By meeting these 10 standards, your clinic can become a Clinic Care Partner with SBA and contribute to the improvement of care for individuals with Spina Bifida, while also gaining access to valuable resources and networking opportunities within the Spina Bifida community.

Source: spinabifidaassociation.org/resource/clinic-care-partner-standards/