About Our Surveyors 

BACKGROUND – ABC site surveyors have sufficient general education and special training specific to a professional discipline to form a solid foundation for program evaluation. The amount and kind of such education and training depends upon the type and level of program to be evaluated. Surveyors may be either generalists or content specialists who are or were themselves practitioners or educators within the discipline represented by the program.

SITE SURVEYOR TRAINING – ABC site surveyors receive formal, organized training through workshops conducted by experienced evaluators representing numerous aspects of the provision Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (“DMEPOS”). In addition, ABC has developed training materials to help site surveyors understand the ABC accreditation standards, their structure and the relationship between ABC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”).

APPROACH – Effective site surveyors demonstrate maturity, objectivity, diplomacy and dedication. They project an image of professionalism both in behavior and appearance. ABC site surveyors appreciate the confidential nature of the task and understand the need for self-initiative, for a cooperative attitude, for an analytic approach to the task and for necessary degrees of flexibility.

KNOWLEDGE – Effective site surveyors have an appreciation of the current status of the disciplines involved and of the entire accrediting process. They have sufficient general and special background to be able to exercise appropriate judgment. In addition, ABC surveyors thoroughly understand the standards being used and what constitutes deviation from or noncompliance with those standards. It is imperative that site surveyors be totally familiar with the content of your application and related materials provided to them prior to the site visit.

SKILLS – ABC site surveyors are skilled in interviewing, in interpersonal communications, in self-expression, in note-taking and in maintaining objectivity. Through experience and education, site surveyors have developed capacities for deductive reasoning and for logical analysis. They are skilled in writing and accurate in recall.