DNV Advanced Certification for Ortho & Spine: Your Roadmap to Quality and Differentiation

Beyond a Badge: How PROMs Help Hospitals Achieve DNV Standards and Stand Out in Orthopedic Care

Pursuing DNV Advanced Orthopedic or Spine Certification is more than a designation—it’s a strategy to strengthen quality and stand apart in a competitive market. These programs require proof of robust processes, data-driven decision-making, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that demonstrate meaningful improvement. For hospitals looking to elevate their orthopedic service line, PROMs aren’t just a checkbox—they’re a catalyst for better outcomes and a culture of continuous improvement.

What DNV Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Certification Requires

DNV’s advanced certification programs build on the foundation of its hospital accreditation model, which integrates CMS Conditions of Participation with ISO 9001 quality management principles—a framework designed to promote continuous improvement across all hospital processes (DNV Healthcare Accreditation).

For orthopedic and spine certification, DNV adds specialty-specific requirements that go beyond the general accreditation standards. These include:

• Consistent collection of pre- and post-operative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) such as HOOS/KOOS, ODI, NDI, PROMIS-10
• Integration of PROMs into the patient’s medical record as part of the clinical documentation
• Use of PROMs data for performance improvement initiatives, not just reporting
• Education and engagement of staff and medical leadership in PROMs collection, interpretation, and quality processes

These requirements ensure hospitals don’t simply achieve certification—they demonstrate measurable quality and patient-centered care (DNV Orthopaedic Certification Programs).

Why Hospitals Pursue Advanced Certification

Hospitals don’t pursue orthopedic or spine certification just to satisfy a requirement—they do it because the benefits ripple across the organization. DNV certification:

• Builds trust and market credibility. Certification signals to patients, payers, and partners that your hospital is committed to evidence-based care and continuous improvement.
• Drives a culture of readiness. With annual assessments instead of once-every-three-years surveys, DNV encourages year-round improvement—not last-minute fire drills.
• Aligns with value-based care. Certification supports CMS initiatives and other quality programs by embedding measurable outcomes into your orthopedic service line.
• Opens doors for growth. Advanced certification differentiates your hospital, strengthening referral networks and positioning your orthopedic program as a destination for high-quality care.

PROMs: From Requirement to Resource

PROMs are not just another reporting checkbox—they’re central to the DNV orthopedic certification process because they measure what matters most: the patient’s perspective on their health and recovery. Used well, PROMs can:

• Guide shared decision-making and goal setting
• Identify at-risk patients early for proactive care management
• Benchmark performance against national standards
• Demonstrate objective improvement for both DNV surveyors and internal quality teams

How CODE Turns PROMs Into Certification Success

Meeting these requirements can feel complex—but it doesn’t have to drain your team’s time. CODE is a fully managed PROMs solution, designed to make orthopedic outcome measurement seamless and actionable.

Here’s what CODE delivers:

• High patient engagement across multiple channels (email, SMS, phone)
• Comparative benchmarks from a national registry covering millions of orthopedic outcomes
• Expert guidance on PROM selection and strategy—DNV’s flexibility can create overwhelm for hospitals deciding which tools to use. CODE helps hospitals choose the right PROMs for each procedure and design a program that delivers measurable value.
• Clinically validated benchmarks—including improvement thresholds for commonly used measures like ODI and NDI, so hospitals can demonstrate meaningful outcomes with confidence.
• Real-time dashboards and reporting tools that map directly to DNV quality goals
• Minimal IT burden and zero workflow disruption

Case in point:

When HonorHealth partnered with CODE, they transformed PROMs from a compliance step into a quality improvement engine:

• Defined surgical success thresholds (21-point ODI and 17-point NDI improvements)
• Built a nurse navigator model based on PROMs data
• Integrated PROMs into surgical refinement and care planning
• Achieved measurable gains in both patient satisfaction and quality performance

The DNV and CMS Connection

If your hospital is already collecting PROMs for CMS THA/TKA PRO-PM compliance, you’re ahead of the game. But while CMS measures participation and improvement for hips and knees, DNV certification expects PROMs integration across the orthopedic service line. CODE enables:

• Scalable data models for multiple certifications and programs
• Performance benchmarks for CMS and DNV requirements
• Support for continuous readiness through real-time analytics

What Separates Certified Programs from the Rest

DNV surveyors aren’t looking for effort—they’re looking for proof that PROMs drive your quality strategy. Hospitals fall short when:

• PROMs collection is inconsistent or incomplete
• Data exists but isn’t used to guide improvement
• Benchmarks and success thresholds aren’t defined

Avoid these pitfalls by turning PROMs into a strategic asset. CODE helps hospitals move beyond “check the box” compliance to create a program that demonstrates excellence to DNV—and delivers better care for every patient.