Revised Glossary Definition of “Designated Equivalent Source”

Effective July 1, 2024, the glossary definition of “designated equivalent source” will be revised in the “Glossary” (GL) chapter of the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual (CAM) for ambulatory care organizations, behavioral health care and human services organizations, critical access hospitals, hospitals, and office-based surgery practices. The revised term will publish online in the spring 2024 E-dition^® update to the accreditation manuals for those listed programs. The revisions help clarify the intent of the term and are shown below with underline for additions and strikethrough for deletions.

designated equivalent source     Selected agencies that have been determined to maintain a specific item(s) of credential(s) information that is identical (that is, equivalent) to the information at the primary source. Examples of designated equivalent sources are listed below. Some of the agencies may provide credential(s) information and services beyond what is identified below. Listing the names of these agencies does not constitute an endorsement. In addition, the use of the word equivalent only refers to an organization’s ability to provide information that is identical to the primary source. “Equivalent” does not imply that any two organizations on the list have verification processes that are of equal rigor or quality.

Designated equivalent sources Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile Professional Data for verification of a physician’s United States and Puerto Rican medical school graduation and postgraduate education completion
• The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) for verification of a physician’s board certification by an ABMS member board
• The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) for verification of a physician’s graduation from a foreign medical school
• The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Physician Database for pre-doctoral education accredited by the AOA Bureau of Professional Education; postdoctoral education approved by the AOA Council on Postdoctoral Training; post-doctoral education approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); and Osteopathic Specialty Board Certification
• The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) for all actions against a physician’s medical license
• The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) Profile for physician assistant education, provided through the AMA Physician Profile Service (https://profiles.ama-assn.org/amaprofiles/)
• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification
• The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) for verification of a physician’s NBPAS board certification

Some of the agencies may provide credential(s) information and services beyond what is identified above.

For questions regarding the revised definition, please contact the Department of Standards and Survey Methods.