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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Below are answers to Frequently Asked Questions about CMLA  and the accreditation process

If you cannot find an answer to your question here, please follow the link to the General Discussion Forum where additional questions may be directed to the Board of Directors and Moderator. In this forum you can also click on the FAQ sticky to see a more regularly updated list of questions and answers.

 

  1. Why should my Laboratory go through the process of accreditation?
  2. Why is Motion Laboratory accreditation important if the Laboratory is already accredited by JCAHO and/or CARF?
  3. Is accreditation tied to reimbursement?
  4. Is the Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation (CMLA) part of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS)?
  5. How much does accreditation cost?
  6. How long is the period of accreditation?
  7. What does the application fee support?
  8. How is accreditation determined?
  9. Are there different categories of accreditation?
  10. How long after the application has been submitted will I be notified of a decision?
  11. Is there a mechanism in place to appeal the accreditation decision if necessary?
  12. Why are only electronic submissions accepted?
  13. If there is no CMLA ‘office’, how do I contact someone if have a question or want to check on the status of my application or the receipt of payment?
  14. I work in a research laboratory. Is there a separate application for research laboratories?
  15. Is accreditation a requirement?
  16. Why is it important that my gait study be performed at an accredited lab?
  17. If my application has remaining deficiencies after the first review and is given "Accreditation Under Review" status, how soon can I re-submit my application and can I do so more than once during the 12-month "revision" period?

 

 

  1. Why should my Laboratory go through the process of accreditation?

    Accreditation demonstrates that your laboratory meets a set of standard criteria in the areas of administration (personnel, staffing, policies and procedures), equipment (validity, accuracy, and precision, quality assurance programs), and data management and reporting (control data set, clinical data set, policies and procedures) deemed important to the clinical care of persons with disorders of human motion. The criteria are felt to be characteristic features of successful, leading laboratories. The prestige of accreditation in and of itself is deemed to have a value.

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  2. Why is Motion Laboratory accreditation important if the Laboratory is already accredited by JCAHO and/or CARF?

    Just like CARF has standards separate from JCAHO which makes it unique and important to rehabilitation facilities, motion laboratory accreditation assesses criteria that are specific and unique to clinical motion laboratories. These criteria may not be addressed in JCAHO or CARF accreditation. Some overlap does exist.

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  3. Is accreditation tied to reimbursement?

    No, not at this time.

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  4. Is the Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation (CMLA) part of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS)?

    No. The Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1997 to be the governing body for clinical motion laboratory accreditation. The GCMAS is a Member Society of CMLA and has two liaisons who sit on the Board of Directors to represent the interests of the GCMAS.

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  5. How much does accreditation cost?

    $750 USD for the period of accreditation.

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  6. How long is the period of accreditation?

    3 years. 

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  7. What does the application fee support?

    The application fee supports the maintenance of the website, and other business of the corporation related to the review process. The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers. CMLA does not employ staff or maintain an office.

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  8. How is accreditation determined?

    Each application is reviewed by three individuals of different disciplines (medical, engineering/technical, and clinical) by a set of standard criteria. (See Application Review Criteria). Approximately 90% of the criteria must be met to achieve ‘Full Accreditation’ status.

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  9. Are there different categories of accreditation?

    Yes. The categories include ‘Full Accreditation’, ‘Provisional Accreditation’, and ‘Accreditation Under Review.’ (See Laboratory Application Review Policy).

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  10. How long after the application has been submitted will I be notified of a decision?

    90 days from the time the application is submitted and the payment is received.
    (See Laboratory Application Review Policy).

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  11. Is there a mechanism in place to appeal the accreditation decision if necessary?

    Yes. (See Accreditation Decision Appeal Policy and Procedure).

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  12. Why are only electronic submissions accepted?

    Electronic submissions are more cost effective and promote increased efficiency in the time from submission to decision.

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  13. If there is no CMLA ‘office’, how do I contact someone if have a question or want to check on the status of my application or the receipt of payment?

    Simply post a communication to the ‘Application Forum’ assigned to your Laboratory as a new topic. A response will be posted by the forum moderator. If posted in the ‘General Forum’ it will be a public, not a private communication.

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  14. I work in a research laboratory. Is there a separate application for research laboratories?

    No. We encourage research laboratories to consider the importance of accreditation just as we encourage clinical laboratories. The mission of CMLA is directed to focus efforts on clinical accreditation because of the unique responsibility of enhancing the clinical care of persons with disorders of human motion. A research laboratory would be evaluated by the same criteria as a clinical laboratory.

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  15. Is accreditation a requirement?

    No, it is strictly voluntary.

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  16. Why is it important that my gait study be performed at an accredited lab?

    When the best treatment for your walking problem is not entirely clear, your physician may recommend that you have a gait analysis performed. You and your physician need that analysis to be as accurate and reliable as possible in order to formulate the best treatment plan for your specific gait abnormality.

    To achieve the most representative snapshot of your walking pattern, accuracy and consistency at all steps of the measurement and analysis process must be provided by the motion laboratory responsible for your data collection. When you choose an accredited gait and motion laboratory you can be confident that they are committed to continuous quality improvement, high levels of customer service, accurate data acquisition, and reliable data analysis.

    CMLA is an independent accrediting body composed of experts in gait and motion analysis. CMLA-accredited labs have applied CMLA's comprehensive standards to every facet of their operations and are committed to continuous quality improvement. Each laboratory's commitment to excellence is reevaluated on a regular basis for them to remain accredited, so when you select a CMLA-accredited laboratory, you can have confidence that you will receive the highest quality gait and motion analysis services available.

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  17. If my application has remaining deficiencies after the first review and is given "Accreditation Under Review" status, how soon can I re-submit my application and can I do so more than once during the 12-month "revision" period?

    Applicants who have more than the minimum number of deficiencies to achieve "Full Accreditation" following their first review can respond to the accreditation ruling by resubmitting their application as soon and as many times as they want within the immediate 12-month period following their formal notification letter. The only requirement is that the applicant must respond to ALL of the remaining deficiencies in any of their subsequent re-submissions during the 12-month revision period. Resubmissions that fail to address all deficiencies will not be reviewed. The applicant must provide all materials from the original application (including a narrative and appropriate appendices) that are needed to address the identified deficiencies, but they DO NOT need to resubmit the entire application. Only those sections that are deemed deficient need to be resubmitted along with any appendices that may have been modified to address the review panel's concerns.

    It is good practice and welcomed by the reviewers to include a cover letter with the resubmission stating specifically how each deficiency has been addressed, much like you would respond to a journal you have submitted an article to with the hope of future publication. It is also very much in the applicant's best interest to resubmit early in the 12-month period rather than at the deadline. This is because upon resubmission the Commission has 90 days to respond, and if the 12 month period expires before the review is complete, there will be no time remaining for the applicant to correct any remaining deficiencies within the time limit. After the one year time limit has expired, the only recourse to change the applicant's accreditation status is to submit a complete new application along with the application fee. We hope all applicants take full advantage of this opportunity for multiple reviews and feedback from CMLA during the 12-month revision period.

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Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. CMLA