AS 5182: 2018 Vendor credentialing for healthcare facilities
The AS 5182: 2018 standard defines the requirements for the credentialing of healthcare industry representatives and services providers entering healthcare facilities for the purpose of conducting business. The primary goal of these requirements is to ensure patient health, safety and confidentiality, and alignment with existing Australian national statutes applicable to healthcare industry representatives and service providers.
The advantage of issuing such a standard is to have hospitals following a unified set of requirements, rather than every healthcare organisation defining their own set of requirements, a situation costing industry significant amounts of money each year. Although there are guidelines on vendor credentialing issued by U.S. and Canadian health organisations, AS 5182: 2018 is the first vendor credentialing standard world-wide.
In 2014, MTAA submitted a project proposal for a standard defining requirements for vendor representatives who require access to healthcare facilities in the course of their business. The technical committee HE-033 tasked with developing the standard included representatives from industry, public and private healthcare organisations and medical colleges.
Healthcare facilities can now rely on the AS 5182: 2018 standard and use it to ensure that vendors visiting their facility adhere to its requirements so that patients are safe, and patients’ privacy is protected.
