What should an AAAHC survey checklist include?

An AAAHC survey checklist should follow AAAHC's own six-step survey process, cover the standards curated for your services, and target the deficiencies AAAHC finds most often, led in 2025 surveys by emergency drills, infection prevention, quality and facilities. Build it from the Self-Assessment Tool and the Documentation Requirements outline in 1095 Engage.

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The process AAAHC sets out

AAAHC describes six steps. Review the accreditation requirements, access 1095 Engage, complete a self-assessment, develop an action plan, submit the application, and prepare for the survey.¹ The Self-Assessment Tool sits in the 1095 Engage Help Curtain. AAAHC surveyors single out its Documentation Requirements outline as the list of evidence they will review on site.²

Which standards apply depends on curation. AAAHC curates standards from the information in your Application and Profile, with a final curation when the Application is approved, so an out-of-date Profile can mean preparing against the wrong standards.³ A Notice of Survey must be posted throughout the organisation for 30 days before a scheduled survey, except random and discretionary surveys.⁴

Where organisations are cited most

The 2026 Quality Roadmap, built on surveys from January to December 2025, found the most common deficiencies in surgical and procedural care in Facilities and Equipment, Medication Management and Quality. In primary care they were Emergency Management, Infection Prevention and Control and Quality.⁵ EMG.170, on emergency drills, was cited at 42.1% of primary care organisations and 23.5% of medical-surgical facilities in the Ambulatory program.⁵ Allergy documentation under CRD.210 needed improvement at 17.9% of surgical and procedural organisations and more than 30% of primary care settings.⁶

Update your Profile. List every service, anesthesia level, procedure and site, so the curated standards are the right ones.
Export your curated standards. Use the Standards tab in 1095 Engage and the Self-Assessment Tool for your program.
Pull the Documentation Requirements outline. Turn each requirement into a line on the checklist, with an owner.
Add the Quality Roadmap's top deficiencies. Give emergency drills, infection prevention, medication management, facilities and quality an extra check.
Sample records. Choose records that reflect your workload, clinicians and patients, and review them against the Clinical Records standards.
Close gaps with dates. Every gap gets an owner, an action and a date before the survey.

TemplateAAAHC survey checklist, one line per standard

Category and standard ______ Level ______
What the surveyor will review ______
Where it lives ______ Owner ______
Self-assessment rating ______ Gap ______
Action and due date ______
Checked again on ______

The checklist, by category

Category	Have ready
Patient Rights, Responsibilities, and Protections	Informed consent documented, privacy and confidentiality protected, access controlled
Governance	Minutes showing review of quality, risk and QI outcomes, and approval of scope and major contracts
Credentialing and Privileging	Each privilege backed by training, experience and current competence
Quality	QI studies with a baseline, goal, causes, actions, remeasurement and communication
Clinical Records	Organised, authenticated records with allergies and outside reports incorporated
Care Management and Coordination	History, examination, medication reconciliation and written self-care instructions
Safety	Incident and near-miss reporting, each reviewed, with corrective action
Emergency Management	Scenario-based drills each calendar quarter, and emergency equipment matched to your procedures
Infection Prevention and Control	A written program, sterilization and high-level disinfection records

Surgery and Medicare Deemed Status

At ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery, surveyors are required to observe a procedure on early option, initial, renewal and interim full surveys, at the highest anesthesia level the organisation provides.⁷ Schedule a representative case and a backup. Medicare Deemed Status surveys are unannounced and also cover the Conditions for Coverage, explained on the AAAHC hub.

For a full rehearsal, run the AAAHC mock survey, and prepare staff with the questions AAAHC surveyors ask. Practices in New York and Miami should also check their state rules, covered on the New York City and Miami pages.

Questions

Does AAAHC look at our self-assessment?

Use of the Self-Assessment Tool is not considered in the accreditation decision, and you do not submit it. Surveyors may ask for evidence of self-assessment on renewal or intracycle surveys.

What do surveyors cite most often?

In the 2026 Quality Roadmap, Facilities and Equipment, Medication Management and Quality in surgical care, and Emergency Management, Infection Prevention and Control and Quality in primary care.

How far ahead must we post the Notice of Survey?

30 calendar days before a scheduled survey. Medicare Deemed Status surveys are unannounced, and the notice goes up as soon as the invoice packet arrives.

Sources

Written by the wai team from Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care guidance, checked on 15 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. AAAHC does not endorse wai or any software.