The goal of every freestanding hyperbaric clinic is to achieve the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) accreditation so that they gain from the benefits that come with this certification. It is the way to send a clear message to the insurance companies, physicians, regulatory authorities and other parties that might refer patients to this facility that the facility is meeting the high national standards of the highest quality health care. The UHMS accreditation is a voluntary program with the aim of assuring other parties that the hospital-based hyperbaric oxygen therapy providers highest patient rating outcomes and satisfaction, meet the rigorous industry standards and practice evidence based medicine.

By definition, the accreditation is simply to ascertain that the hyperbaric oxygen therapy that the clinic offers if of industry standards. It also means that this clinic scores highly in patient satisfaction rate and practices evidence based medicine. This however does not come easy. There are stringent requirements set by the body that the facility has to meet to be accredited.

In order to ascertain this, the health care facility has to be surveyed by a team from the UHMS. In addition to above data, they have to gather data on training processes, the equipment operation and maintenance, and the safety standards in place.

For one reason or another, many clinics usually resort to seek help from professional consultants to be ready for the survey. Generally, the terms of reference mainly focuses on evaluating the clinic's current position and the level of conformity and nonconformity. These consultants offer insight in scope, the time, and the resources necessary for full conformity. However, they may extend their services to include steering the clinic in the process of conformity.

The decision to employ consultants comes with several other benefits that come with it. The consultants will come up with a report that details the tasks that are necessary for conformance and an estimation of resources required for this purpose. Secondly, the consultant should establish relationship and dependencies in these tasks to ensure that there is order in undertaking the tasks.

Normally, the team from the UHMS conducts a survey in very wide areas within the facility. The areas of focus include fire protection, ventilation, fabrication, and the electrical installation of the chamber. For the patients, the issues to be examined include the patient rights, care, assessment, and education. In addition to this, the human resource, leadership, professional development, teaching, research and publication, information management, medical gas system, and environmental sustenance are also surveyed.

Once also the areas meet the set standards, a facility attains the accreditation, which is a proof that the facility conforms to the high standards required in the medical environment. It also a proof that the team running the said medical center is qualified and the health care providers have the necessary training and professional qualification.

The data gathered is then analyzed and if the clinic meets the standards, it gets accredited and can start enjoying the benefits that comes with it. The immediate benefits include the trust earned from insurance providers and increase number patients resulting from referral from physicians and practitioners. In the long run though, this translates to increased income and growth.