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Site Visit Analysis and Report: How to conduct and evaluate your first architecture site visit

• Updated: January 2, 2024

Here we will cover everything you need to know about of how to approach your first site visit analysis for a new project, what to do when physically there, and how to eventuate and summarize the information you collect.

However before visiting for the first time we highly recommend that you carry out desktop study beforehand, as this will provide an important initial understanding of the site and generate far better results and more refined questions once there.

The desktop study will also help to identify the important items of equipment that you will need to take with you to make your trip as successful as possible. …these are mentioned below but may include a: 

• Site map (very important)
• Tape measure
• Laser distance meter

…more essential architects items here

Conducting an architecture site visit analysis

A site visit analysis is a comprehensive report that summarizes the findings of a physical inspection of a potential development site. It includes information on the site’s physical characteristics, location, surrounding area, demographic information, environmental impact, zoning regulations, traffic flow, and recommendations for development.

The report synthesizes all gathered information to provide a comprehensive understanding of the site and its potential.

What to look for?

Once there, there are a whole number of important areas and items that need to be studied and recorded, some of which would have already been identified during your desktop study, but as a starting point we’ve produced the below list of all the key areas:

We suggest that you take these with you and tick them off as they are found, so not to miss anything.

• Entrance and access points (both pedestrian and vehicle)
• Security (gates, surveillance)
• Travelling to the site (road types and suitability, safety, public transport)
• Boundary treatment (fencing, vegetation, land form, water)
• Extent of boundary (does it match the survey/OS map)
• Circulation (existing travel routes within the site)
• Noise levels (quiet and loud areas)
• Services (electric, gas, water, sewage)
• Existing buildings (condition? Relevant? Protected?)
• Existing landscape features (condition? Relevant? Protected?)
• Neighbouring buildings (local vernacular, protected?)
• Views in and out of the site (areas to screen off and areas to draw attention to)
• Tree’s and vegetation (protected and rare species)
• Ecology (any areas likely to be home to protected species)
• Orientation (sun and wind paths)
• Light levels (areas in direct sunlight, shaded areas, dappled light)
• Accessibility (disability access)
• Surrounding context (historical, heritage, conservation area, SSSI, AONB)
• Existing materials in and around the site
• Topography (site levels)
• Flood level (is it likely to flood)
• Soil and ground conditions (types and suitability)
• Existing legal agreements (where are the rights of way, covenants)
• Hazards (Electricity lines, Drainage, Telephone lines, Sub-stations)

We provide a site analysis checklist here covering all of the above that’s free to download.

Where to start

You want to begin documenting your visit as soon as you arrive, as the approach and entrance to your site are just as important as the site itself. If you’re desktop study didn’t highlight the possible routes and methods of transport to and from the site, then this needs to be recorded also.

Documenting your first impressions is vitally important, ask yourself; what do you see as you enter the site? what do you hear? what do you feel? (…what senses are the first to be triggered), you will only get one chance to do this properly and so you need to make it count!

…and don’t forget to include the location of the elements you record, when noting it down on your site map or survey. By the end of your visit, you should barley be able to read whats under all your notes …write down everything!

Moving on from first impressions, you should plan to walk around the site as least twice (as a minimum) to ensure that nothing is missed, so leave enough time to make a least two loops, noting down and photographing everything that you feel is relevant, no matter how small.

…there’s nothing worse than getting back to the studio and realizing you forgot to document something.

We like to use the check list supplied above and:

• Firstly walk around the site whilst annotating a site plan
• Secondly with a camera …photographing everything
• and thirdly with both …just in case something has been missed

This way we can focus on one task at a time, helping to ensure we gather everything we need.

In terms of a camera, and depending on your budget we suggest looking one these three options (but a phone is just as good):

• Sony DSCW800 Digital Compact Camera
• Sony DSCWX350 Digital Compact Camera
• Canon EOS 1300D DSLR Camera

It can be difficult to identify certain elements, and some may only be noticeable from a professional survey, such as underground services and precise spot levels. But approximations of such locations and heights are a good start and can serve as a reminder for further investigation.

If accessible you can of course take your own measurements and so this is where a tape measure and/or distance meter will come in handy.

Try one of these:

–  Tape measure

– Laser distance meter

What to take with you

Firstly look at the weather, you wont have a good time if your not dressed appropriately, and this applies to protecting your notes and equipment as well as yourself.

…a simple quick check, can make or break a visit, arranging to go on sunny day will also give you the best site photographs, which could also be used in future CGI’s and presentation material. 

If the site is derelict, or has potentially dangerous or hazardous elements, it is likely that you will require personal protection equipment (otherwise known as PPE) so make sure this is organised before setting off.

As a minimum you want to take with you a camera, a pen and an OS map. Google Maps can provide a temporary (though very basic) version, but a much preferred scaled version that can normally be obtained through your university or practice via such companies as:

• Digimap – digimap.edina.ac.uk
• Xero CAD – xerocad.co.uk
• CAD Mapper – cadm a pper.com (free account available)

As mentioned, you will want to make notes, and record everything you observe, experience and hear all over this map. So print out a couple of copies at a usable and convenient size.

A camera is essential in documenting the site, and the pictures taken during your visit are likely to be used on a daily basis throughout your project. So once again make sure you document and record everything.

Pictures should be taken from all distances, close zoomed-in sections of materials and textures along with shots of the site from a distance to include the area as a whole and within its context.

Note pads are important for obvious reasons, we prefer an A5 sized pad, as this is much easier to carry and hold than an A4 one.

Tape measures can be useful, but we never go on a site visit without a distance meter.

…and lastly if you’re visiting on your own, don’t forget to tell someone where you’ll be and take your phone with a charged battery.

Our site visit equipment check list looks something like this:

• Weather check
• Print out our “what to look for” checklist
• Site map (at least 2 copies)
• PPE equipment
• Scale ruler

If you are interested in trying our architecture site analysis symbols for your own site analysis recordings and presentation, then head over to our shop ( Here ).

FAQ’s about site visit analysis

What is included in a site analysis.

As discussed above, site analysis typically includes the following elements:

• Site location and context: Understanding the location of the site in relation to the surrounding area, including climate, topography, neighboring buildings, and accessibility.
• Physical characteristics: Examining the site’s physical features, such as its size, shape, soil type, vegetation, and water sources.
• Utilities and infrastructure: Assessing the availability of utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and sewer, as well as the infrastructure, such as roads and transportation.
• Environmental considerations: Analyzing the site’s potential environmental impact and assessing any potential hazards, such as flooding or soil stability.
• Zoning and land-use regulations: Reviewing the local zoning and land-use regulations to determine the types of uses and development allowed on the site.
• Cultural and historical context: Examining the cultural and historical significance of the site and its surrounding area.
• Demographic information: Analyzing the demographic information of the surrounding area, including population, income, and age.
• Traffic and pedestrian flow: Studying the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area to understand the impact on the site.

This information is used to inform the design of a building or development project, taking into account the unique characteristics and constraints of the site.

What are the steps of site analysis?

including the above, the steps involved in conducting a site analysis report typically include:

• Data Collection: Gather data and information about the site, including maps, aerial photos, zoning regulations, environmental reports, and other relevant documents.
• Site Observations: Conduct a site visit to observe and document the site’s physical and environmental conditions, such as topography, vegetation, water sources, and neighboring buildings.
• Context Analysis: Analyze the site’s location and context, including its surrounding area, access to transportation, and cultural and historical significance.
• Demographic Analysis: Study the demographic information of the surrounding area, including population, income, and age, to understand the potential market for the development project.
• Traffic and Pedestrian Flow Analysis: Study the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area to understand the impact on the site.
• Synthesis: Synthesize the information gathered in the previous steps to develop a comprehensive understanding of the site and its potential.
• Recommendations: Based on the analysis, make recommendations for the development of the site, taking into account the unique characteristics and constraints of the site.

These steps help architects and planners to gain a deeper understanding of the site and to make informed decisions about the design and development of a building or project.

Every design project begins with site analysis … start it with confidence for free!.

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Dashpivot article – Purpose of Site Visit Report

Purpose of Site Visit Report

What is the purpose of a site visit report.

A site visit report serves as a crucial tool in the realm of project management, bridging the gap between on-ground realities and managerial oversight.

Its primary purpose is to document firsthand observations, activities, and conditions of a specific site at a given time, offering a snapshot of the project's progress, challenges, and accomplishments.

By detailing these insights, the report ensures transparent communication with all stakeholders, facilitating informed decision-making.

Moreover, it fosters accountability, as any deviations or issues highlighted can be promptly addressed.

Such reports also play an essential role in risk management, as they can identify potential problems early on, enabling proactive interventions.

In essence, a site visit report is a testament to the project's trajectory, fostering informed decisions, trust, and continuous improvement

What should be in your site visit report?

The primary objectives of a site visit report include:

• Documentation: The report provides an official record of observations, discussions, and activities that took place during the visit. It can be referred to in the future to track changes, decisions, or to verify certain events or conditions at the site on the specific visit date.
• Communication: The report effectively communicates the status and conditions of a project or site to stakeholders who weren't present during the visit. This can include senior management, clients, partners, or regulatory bodies.
• Accountability: By recording findings, deviations, or issues, the report holds involved parties accountable for addressing the identified concerns. Recommendations and action items specified in the report can set a path for corrective actions.
• Decision-Making: The documented observations and recommendations can inform subsequent decisions related to the project or site. This can pertain to budget adjustments, changes in project timelines, resource allocation, or any strategic shifts.
• Risk Management: The report can identify potential risks or hazards, leading to preemptive solutions or interventions before issues escalate.
• Tracking Progress: For ongoing projects, regular site visit reports offer a sequential record of progress. By comparing consecutive reports, stakeholders can gauge if the project is on track, if quality standards are maintained, and if milestones are achieved as planned.
• Quality Assurance: The report can highlight areas where quality standards are either met or lacking, ensuring that the final output meets the expected criteria.
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: In certain industries, maintaining a detailed site visit report is a regulatory requirement. These reports can be audited or reviewed by external agencies to ensure adherence to standards, laws, or regulations.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Feedback on various aspects of the project, including performance of teams, effectiveness of methods, or utility of tools and equipment, can lead to process improvements in the future.
• Building Trust: Regular, transparent, and comprehensive reports can build trust between clients, stakeholders, and the executing team, as they provide tangible evidence of commitment, progress, and challenges.

In essence, a site visit report serves as a bridge between on-ground realities and the higher-level management or decision-making entities, ensuring that all parties are well-informed and aligned.

See a completed site visit report below to see how you can tie in the purpose to the execution of the report.

Use and customise this free Site Visit Report template

Make it easy for your team to record site visit reports.

Use a standardised site visit report template to make it quick and easy for your team to record site visit reports on site.

All the fields and sections you need are pre-built into the report, which is also customisable specific to your project or location with the drag and drop form builder.

Add sections for photos and attach them directly to your report for easy referenceability.

Take attendance and keep track in your form with tables, with multiple sign on options with even QR code scanning signatures.

Create digital site visit report processes

Site visit reports are only useful if your team has access to them when they need it, to track project progress and record new site visits easily.

Use a   site visit report app so your team can capture site visit report details on site via their mobile or tablet and sync it directly back to the office once it's submitted.

Create automated workflows to plan, conduct and sign off on site visit reports, with automatic notifications for responsible parties when the next step is ready.

Share site visit reports in a single click as professionally formatted PDF or CSV so your team, or even external 3rd parties, are always up to date.

Photos taken will have automatic timestamps, geotagging and you can add photo markup to highlight important information, defects or changes.

Site diary template

Complete and organise your daily diaries more efficiently.

Meeting Minutes template

Capture, record and organise those meeting minutes.

Progress Claim template

Streamline and automate the progress claim process to get paid faster and look more professional.

Sitemate builds best in class tools for built world companies.

About Nick Chernih

Nick is the Senior Marketing Manager at Sitemate. He wants more people in the Built World to see the potential of doing things a different way - just because things are done one way doesn't mean it's the best way for you.

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Key Activities Before, During, and After the Site Visit

This image shows a cycle as signified by blue arrows. The cycle starts with the “Before the visit,” then goes to “During the Site Visit” and ends with “After the Site Visit.” Between the “Before the Site Visit,” arrow and the “During the Site Visit” arrow, the text states, “Review already collected site-specific information. Identify information needs. Prepare a list of information needs and questions to pursue. Determine if it is necessary to enter any restricted areas. Meet with the other site team members to plan the site visit. Print pathway-related checklists or data-gathering templates.” Between the “During the Site Visit” and “After the Site Visit” arrows,  the text states, “Identify possible source areas. Look for signs of human activities. Ask your prepared questions. Collect documents and data. Take photographs (if allowed). Record physical features. Meet with community, local/state office, and tribal representatives. Document site visit findings. Between the “After the Site Visit” and “Before the Site Visit” arrows, the text states, “Review and compile all the information gathered. Conduct a team debriefing meeting. Identify any further data needs. Reach out to additional contacts, as needed. Perform more file reviews, if necessary. Prepare a site visit report if needed for future reference.”

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How Many Visitors Should Your Website Get? [Data from 400+ Web Traffic Analysts]

Published: June 19, 2023

If you run a website, then you've likely spent time creating and optimizing a marketing strategy to drive traffic to your website . But how many visitors should you aim for your website to get?

To answer that question, you will need to complete the following steps: 

• determine how many visitors are typical to websites in your industry
• determine how many visitors are "good" for websites in your industry
• establish a goal based on variables like industry, size, and user experience and create an action plan to achieve it

In this post, we'll walk through how to complete each of these steps. Feel free to jump on one of the links above to skip to that step. Otherwise, let's get started. 

How many visitors does a website typically get?

It depends. With over 1.9 billion websites on the internet today , it is impossible to provide one number, or even a range, to accurately answer this question. Fortunately, there is data as well as tools and other resources to help you make an educated guess for websites in your industry.

Going off of pure numbers can be a good start to understanding customer behavior. HubSpot's recent web traffic analytics report yields information like only 31% of websites receive more than 50,000 unique visitors per month, ~50% of websites get 4-6 page views per visit, the biggest source of traffic is direct (22%), and more. 

Complete SEO Starter Pack

An introductory kit to optimize your website for search.

• Increase your organic traffic.
• Plan your keyword strategy.
• Debunk SEO myths.
• Build a blog strategy.

Download Free

All fields are required.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

However, it's easy to get lost in the data, so it's good to see what the experts have to say. To this end, the HubSpot Blog surveyed over 400 web traffic analysts in the U.S. to gather data on various metrics including their monthly traffic, bounce rate, click-through rate, and the strategies they use to rank on search engine results pages.

The majority tracked analytics for B2C websites, while the rest tracked for B2B sites. Thanks to this survey, we can provide some answers for how many visitors a website typically gets and where these visitors come from. 

When asked how many total visitors the website they tracked analytics for got per month, the majority answered between 1,001 and 15K. Here’s the breakdown:

• 1,001-15K (46%)
• 15,001-50K (19.3%)
• 50,001-250K  (23.2%)
• 250,001-10M (11%)
• 10M+ (0.5%)

These percentages change when you consider other factors, like the size and age of the website. Let's look at those breakdowns below. 

Visitors by Website Size

Since website size might refer to the company size (ie. the number of employees) or to the amount of content on the website, we looked at both factors and how that affected total monthly visitors. 

According to the HubSpot survey of over 400 web traffic analysts, the number of employees correlates to the number of monthly visitors — but more employees doesn’t always mean more visitors. Sites with over 1000 employees did make up the majority that get between 50,001-250K and 250,001-10M total monthly visitors. They were also the only sites that get over 10 million total monthly visitors.

However, approximately 8% of companies with fewer than 10 employees get between 250,001-10M total monthly visitors whereas 0% of companies with 11 to 200 employees do. Also, approximately 31% of companies with 201 to 500 employees get between 50,001-250K and 250,001-10M total monthly visitors, which is higher than the percentages of companies with 5001 to 1000 employees and companies with more than 1000.

According to the data, the less frequently you publish, the less visitors you get per month and vice versa. For example, 36% of sites that publish multiple times a day get between 1,000 and 15K monthly visitors whereas 100% of websites that publish once a quarter or less do. Also, only sites that publish multiple times a day get over 10 million total monthly visitors.

Visitors by Website Age

According to HubSpot data, the age of a website correlates to the number of monthly visitors. Sites that have existed for over 10 years did make up the majority that get between 250,001-10M and over 10 million total monthly visitors, and the minority that get between 1,001-15K.

However, older doesn’t always mean more visitors. For example, approximately 34% of sites that have existed for 7-9 years get between 50,001-250K total monthly visitors whereas only 29% of websites that have existed for over 10 years do.

Where do visitors come from?

Knowing how many total monthly visitors websites get on average is important — but it’s also important to know where these visitors are coming from. It can help you determine whether you should invest more in email or social media, for example, or in ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. Let's take a look at the results of the HubSpot survey below. 

Visitors from Traffic Sources

According to HubSpot data, the distribution of website traffic by source is:

• Direct (22%)
• Organic Search (17%)
• Social (16%)
• Email (14%)
• Display ads (12%)
• Referral (9%)
• Paid Search (9%)

As you analyze other companies and industries, you can assume that direct traffic, organic search, and social are the top web traffic sources.

Visitors from Device Types

According to this HubSpot data, the distribution of website traffic by device type is:

• Mobile (41%)
• Desktop (38%)
• Tablet (19%)

How do you scale this information to your business? There are a series of factors to consider when determining how many visitors your site should get and setting a “good” number — or benchmark — as your goal. Let's take a look.

How many unique visitors per month is good?

The answer to this question depends on a few factors. First, are you evaluating a B2B, B2C, or hybrid company? B2B companies have a target audience of other businesses and organizations . B2C companies target direct consumers.

One can infer that the potential for more unique monthly visitors for B2C companies is greater than that of B2B companies simply because their target audience is exponentially larger. B2B companies use niche marketing to sell particular products or services to a specific group of businesses while B2C companies focus their strategy on the needs, interests, and challenges of people in their everyday lives .

Data from the HubSpot survey of over 400 web traffic analysts provides mixed results however. While 22.5% of B2C sites get between 40,001-100K unique monthly visitors, only 16.7% of B2B websites get that amount. However, 16.7% of B2B sites get over 100K unique monthly visitors and only 14.7% of B2C sites do. 

In the table below, you'll see a breakdown of how many unique visitors that all websites included in the survey get, and a breakdown by B2B and B2C sites. 

Taking note of the data above, determining how many monthly unique visitors is “good” for your company depends on your answers to the following questions.

What is the standard in your industry?

To make an accurate guess of where your company should be, determine the industry standard. To do this, evaluate your competition. Using tools like the previously mentioned SimilarWeb and SEMRush, you can create a general overview of your competitors and use these statistics to establish an average for your industry.

For example, in 2023, leisure & hospitality saw a 30.49% increase in website traffic. This is likely because people are looking to travel more and invest in home improvements post-pandemic.

How much content do you produce?

The more content you have available on your site, the more opportunities you create for visitors to find it. How much new content are you producing? One? Three? Five or more? The size of your team will affect the amount of content you’re able to create. If you find that you’re unable to produce new content, consider expanding the size of your team to meet your needs.

How well is your content strategy working?

To fix something, you need to know if it’s broken. Evaluate whether your content strategy is working. Are you ranking for your keywords? Have you seen an increase in views over the last few months? Where is the bulk of your traffic coming from? Once you can determine how your site is currently performing, you can take active steps to create an effective content strategy .

What is the search volume for your targeted topics?

Search volume for your targeted topics is directly related to the demand for that information, product, or service. High search volume can mean more visitors; however, this is directly affected by the competitiveness of your keywords.

How competitive are your target keywords?

A combination of these factors affects your website’s unique visitors per month, but it boils down to competition. The more competitive your target keywords, the harder it is to rank on the first page of a SERP. The more competitive the industry, the greater the chances of having potential website visitors split among the competition.

For example, in the HubSpot survey, 29.4% of B2C websites described the competitiveness of their target keywords as above average, or highly competitive, whereas only 25.4% of B2B sites did.

Is your website secure?

Establishing a safe and secure website with an SSL certificate can boost your reputation and relationship with future consumers. Not only does it mean less time worrying about potential security incidents, but it allows your visitors to insert their information into your systems with confidence.

Is your website accessible?

Fifteen percent of the world’s population are persons with disabilities . Many still use the web, and businesses must ensure that their content is accessible. Accessibility is not a feature , and making your website convenient to all visitors is not a bonus but a necessity.

Is your website mobile-friendly?

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly for cell phone users, you’re cutting off a large portion of potential visitors. According to data from Statista , the number of unique mobile internet users stood at 4.66 billion in 2021, indicating that over 92 percent of the global internet population use a mobile device to go online.

Optimizing your website for mobile is therefore essential. Over 50% of the web traffic analysts surveyed by HubSpot said that it was one of the SEO strategies they leverage. 

Is your website optimized for the user experience?

Click-through rate and bounce rate are metrics that help determine the user experience on your website. You should evaluate them together. 

Click-through rate is the percentage of people who visit your page after it comes up in a search. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who arrive and leave your web page quickly after landing on it. While a high click-through rate is positive, a high bounce rate is negative. A high bounce rate sends search engines a signal that your content isn’t relevant to the users and negatively affects your rank.

In the HubSpot survey of over 400 web traffic analysts, the average click-through rate and bounce rate ranged widely. However, most of the websites (67%) had a click-through rate between 10-39%, while the majority (43.8%) had a bounce rate between 21-40%. These are good benchmarks to use for your site. 

Once you can evaluate your industry, website, and content strategy, the next step is to set goals and execute them.

Setting Reasonable Goals For Website Traffic

Focus on the word “reasonable.” A goal to reach 10,000 monthly visitors next month might not be a stretch if you garnered 9,000 visitors this month. However, if your website receives an average of 2,500 monthly visitors, this goal is less probable. Setting a realistic and attainable goal is the key to creating the proper marketing strategy for your business.

Step 1: Define your goal.

First, define your goal. To do so, analyze your current metrics and that of your competitors.

Platforms such as Google Analytics , HubSpot ,  SimilarWeb , SEMRush , and Ahrefs will enable you to analyze the traffic of websites in your industry. Using a combination of these tools is common. For example, in the HubSpot survey, about 82% of the web traffic analysts used Google Analytics and 25% used HubSpot's web analytics. The next three most popular tools were Mint, Spring Metrics, and SimilarWeb.

Let’s use HelloFresh and other meal kit delivery services as an example. The company’s direct competitors include Every Plate, Home Chef, and Blue Apron. The ranking for their monthly total visitors, according to SimilarWeb and Sitechecker, is as follows for February 2022:

• HelloFresh: 12M
• Every Plate: 2.9M
• Home Chef: 2.7M
• Blue Apron: 1.9M

Note that the same website may differ in traffic estimates provided by different tools. While you can’t assume which platform is more accurate than the other, you can use a combination of information from different sources to find an average. This will provide a snapshot of how many visitors a website typically gets. 

For example, if you're a new meal kit delivery service looking at the total monthly visitors for these companies, you'd get an average of 4.9 million monthly views. Now, this can be a goal for future growth, with incremental benchmarks. 

A monthly goal for a small business receiving 5,000 total monthly visitors could be 10% or 500 visitors, for example. Set goals with a content plan in mind. With this goal in place, you can use it to determine the success of your content strategy.

Step 2: Build a content plan around MSV.

Monthly search volume (MSV) is the number of times a specific keyword is entered into a search engine each month. MSV allows you to anticipate the amount of traffic available for a particular keyword term. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to gauge which keywords are worth targeting for your content strategy. You’ll also be able to assess the needs of potential clients and customers and cater your content to them.

An effective content plan won't only target keywords with the highest MSV. In the HubSpot survey, only 15% of the web traffic analysts described the MSV for their target keywords as "very high." The majority (60%) described it as "somewhat high."

Some free online keyword tools that help calculate MSV include Google Keyword Planner , Ahrefs Keyword Generator , and Answer the Public .

Step 3: Determine a publishing cadence.

In conjunction with creating your content strategy, lay out a schedule. How often you update your website is key to attracting more visitors because you increase the number of opportunities to land on your page. According to the data from the HubSpot survey shared above, you want to post new content to your website multiple times a month at least. Ideally, you should post new content once a day. Websites that post daily are more likely to get between 15,001 and 250K visitors per month, and less likely to get between 1,0001 and 15K visitors than websites that post monthly.

While determining a publishing cadence is necessary, it is equally important to stick to it and remain consistent.

Step 4: Assess your performance.

The first step to assessing your goals is having a data reporting software set up. Once you do, it’s time to look at a range of metrics. Of the web traffic analysts surveyed, total monthly visitors, unique monthly visitors, and bounce rate were the most common metrics used to assess website performance. Others included search traffic and industry-wide trends.

To start, check if your unique monthly visitors increased. Whether or not you met your goal, ask yourself the following questions to review your progress:

• Did your unique monthly visitors increase or decrease? By what percent?
• Are you ranking for targeted keywords?
• Was there a trend (increase or decrease) in visitors across your industry?

An increase or decrease in your unique monthly visitors isn’t enough to gauge the complete success of your goal or content strategy. Are you ranking for your targeted keywords? If yes, your content strategy is working, and your location in SERPs can lead to further increases in the future. If not, reassess and adopt new SEO methods for growth .

Remember that attracting more website visitors also requires you to consider other factors besides keyword optimization and content consistency. As mentioned, mobile-friendliness and user experience optimization are mandatory.

They are direct ranking factors, and you must build or update your website with them in mind to increase its position in SERPs and ultimately boost traffic. For example, HubSpot’s free drag-and-drop website builder comes with built-in SEO recommendations. You can see whether your site’s page titles, meta descriptions, images, and mobile viewports adhere to SEO best practices.  

Moreover, when assessing your performance, it might also be necessary to measure factors out of your control, for example, industry trends. Was there a mutual dip in unique monthly views among you and your competitors? It is possible that your keyword MSV wasn’t as high as in previous months. A decrease in MSV for your keywords is out of your control. However, it is your responsibility to pivot and discover what your target audience is searching for.

How many visitors should your site get?

In content strategy and marketing, consistency is key. How many visitors should your site get? Ultimately, it comes down to how consistent you are in the tips featured above. Do you keep up with industry best practices to guide your knowledge on MSV? Do you periodically evaluate your content to boost your SEO? Are you updating your information to guide your goals?

There is no magic number when it comes to monthly website visitors. Evaluate your website and use your current metrics to determine where you want to be in one, six, or 12 months from now. Changes rarely happen overnight. Set reasonable goals with realistic timelines, and you’ll eventually see growth.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2009 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Unit 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

As you learn more about your role as a Site Visitor, perhaps the most important thing to remember is that the success of the visit depends on YOU. You are the eyes and ears of the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Your analysis and written site visit report are critical to the success of the entire accreditation process. The Commission relies on the information in the self-study and your report to formulate its decision about the accreditation of programs. This report also becomes a reference document for the next regularly scheduled site visit five to seven years in the future.

The successful site visitor:

• evaluates objectively
• gathers facts
• evaluates data
• acts confident and professional
• understands the faculty's point of view
• is accurate but tactful in conveying program strengths and weaknesses
• observes confidentiality
• reports actual or perceived conflict of interest to the commission before the site visit

General Comments

• Site Visitors serve as fact-finders for the Commission and are expected to be thorough, objective and cooperative with the visiting institution in their conduct of program reviews. An overly critical, negative or judgmental attitude on the part of a Site Visitor is inappropriate and undermines the value of the accreditation process.
• Site Visitors should assess programs according to the established accreditation standards and not according to their personal preferences or biases. While it is often helpful for site visitors to offer suggestions based on personal experience, institutions must clearly understand that programs are evaluated objectively according to pre-established standards.
• Site Visitors must regard all information obtained before and during the visit as confidential. Materials provided to a Site Visitor for the evaluation (e.g., applications and supporting documentation) should be destroyed after the Commission has considered the site visit report.
• Site Visitors should NOT accept social invitations from host administrators during the accreditation site visit. The function of the visit is program evaluation and review.
• Site visitors should remember that accreditation standards are deliberately broad to enable each program to interpret them within its own particular environment. The Site Visitor can assist the institution by exploring and suggesting alternative methods of meeting standards. However, neither the Commission nor its Site Visitors can dictate the specifics of how an institution responds to recommendations, since there are many ways in which most requirements may be met. Site Visitors should never discuss details about the operation of their own accredited programs.

Roles and Responsibilities of Visiting Committee Members

You are an assistant professor at State University, a position you have held for the past five years. As a result of some of the excellent clinical research you have done in your discipline, which has earned you considerable respect among your colleagues, last year you were nominated and named to be a Site Visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Your credentials are currently being organized for presentation to your department chair for promotion to the rank of associate professor and the granting of tenure.

You returned yesterday from your first site visit, a multi-program visit where you served as the site visitor of the advanced dental education program in your discipline. Having eagerly anticipated the visit, it proved to be as enjoyable and exciting as you had thought.

The program you visited had many deficiencies. You felt as if you had been very fair and objective, and that you had communicated with empathy, but also very honestly with the program director. While he was disappointed in the results, he had complimented you on your professionalism at the exit interview.

The camaraderie of the site visitors was strong, and you were impressed with the careful, thoughtful, and methodical manner in which the team conducted its work; and the leadership of the chair. Your assessment of our personal performance was strong, and you feel good about how you represented the Commission. You had the most significant challenge of the discipline-specific Site Visitors.

Today you are off to a noon departmental meeting. After a discussion of the various items on the agenda, and before closing the meeting, your department chair looks at you and says: "Dr. Site Visitor, tell us about the program at Big City University. They certainly do not have much of a reputation. How could they have an accredited program, as they have lost over half their faculty in the last year? I hear by the grapevine that the students are up in arms! Tell us what you found out about the place!"

What do you do? How do you respond to your Department chair?

• Site Visitors must assess programs according to the established accreditation standards and not according to their personal preferences or biases. While it is often helpful for site visitors to offer suggestions based on personal experience, institutions must clearly understand that programs are evaluated objectively according to pre-established standards.
• Site Visitors must NOT accept social invitations from host administrators during the accreditation site visit. The function of the visit is program evaluation and review.
• Site visitors must remember that accreditation standards are deliberately broad to enable each program to interpret them within its own particular environment. The Site Visitor can assist the institution by exploring and suggesting alternative methods of meeting standards. However, neither the Commission nor its Site Visitors can dictate the specifics of how an institution responds to recommendations, since there are many ways in which most requirements may be met. Site Visitors should never discuss details about the operation of their own accredited programs.

The entire accreditation process is based upon integrity. This includes fair and impartial judgments, protection of confidentiality and the avoidance of any real or perceived conflict of interest. Confidentiality does not end with the site visit.

As a program reviewer, you have had access to a great deal of confidential material. You must not divulge that information to anyone at any time. This discretion is critical to maintaining the integrity of the Commission and its activities as perceived by the programs it accredits. If programs believe they cannot reveal confidential information to the Commission without having it made public, the entire voluntary accreditation process will fail. Only free and open sharing of information allows the process to succeed.

To remind you of the seriousness of the accreditation process and of its commitment to protect confidentiality, the Commission requires all Site Visitors and other external participants to sign an "Agreement of Confidentiality". By signing the agreement annually, you indicate that you understand the Commission’s policy on confidentiality and agree to abide by it.

Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings and site visit materials, all information obtained on-site, all protected patient health information, and all discussions related to program or institution accreditation are confidential. And, please remember that confidentiality has no expiration date - - it lasts forever!

Perception is also important when considering conflict of interest. Conflict of interest can be real or perceived, and both should be avoided. The institution has the opportunity prior to the site visit to request different Site Visitors if there is some question regarding conflict of interest. They receive a list of the Site Visitors prior to the visit and may request to remove one or more people from the list if they perceive or anticipate a conflict of interest. As a Site Visitor, you also have an obligation to consider whether you have connections with a particular program or institution that make it inappropriate to serve on the evaluation team.

Examples of conflict of interest include but are not limited to a visitor who:

• is a graduate of a program at the institution;
• has served on the program’s visiting committee within the last seven (7) years;
• has served as an independent consultant, employee or appointee of the institution;
• has a family member who is employed or affiliated with the institution;
• has a close professional or personal relationship with the institution/program or key personnel in the institution/program which would, from the standpoint of a reasonable person, create the appearance of a conflict;
• manifests a partiality that prevents objective consideration of a program for accreditation;
• is a former employee of the institution or program;
• previously applied for a position at the institution within the last five (5) years;
• is affiliated with an institution/program in the same state as the program’s primary location;
• is a resident of the state; and/or
• is in the process of considering, interviewing and/or hiring key personnel at the institution.

Other conflicts may be less obvious. If you are not sure whether a conflict exists, call and discuss your concerns with Commission staff. If a conflict of interest is not reported by the site visitor, the Commission might have to discard the results of a site visit and conduct another visit, a situation that would be damaging to the integrity of the accreditation process and expensive. On an annual basis, the Commission requires that all Site Visitors agree to and sign a Conflict of Interest Statement to ensure compliance.

Additional information regarding confidentiality and conflict of interest can be found in the Commission’s Evaluation and Operational Policies and Procedures (EOPP) Manual.

Review and Practice 3.1:

Would any of the following conditions be perceived as a conflict of interest? Explain your answer. If you are unsure, what would you do to clarify?

• You and the program director used to work in the same institution 10 years ago.
• Your child plans to go to the dental school that you will be visiting next year.
• You worked closely with several of the institution's faculty on an external committee three years ago.

The Commission uses several structured forms to facilitate and promote consistency in its on-site evaluations of programs. A description of these accreditation instruments is included below. Understanding these instruments will facilitate your role as a Site Visitor.

• Application for Initial Accreditation: This document is used by programs that are developing, have not enrolled students/residents, and wish to obtain accreditation by the Commission. The document is completed by the sponsoring institution and provides basic information about the program to be reviewed, including a description of its administration, staffing, facilities, curriculum and resources. It also contains supporting documentation relative to these areas (i.e., affiliation agreements, Biosketches, schedules, etc.). The purpose of the Application is to convey basic program information to the Commission by demonstrating that the program is developing or has developed according to the standards established by the Commission.
• Self-Study Report: In accord with the Self-Study Guide (Appendix 3.5), a program’s self-study report is completed by the sponsoring institution and summarizes findings of the program’s self-evaluation. Educational programs accredited by the Commission must undergo periodic self-evaluation to retain their accreditation status. By requiring self-evaluation the Commission ensures that accreditation will not consist solely of an outside agency assessing the adequacy of a program, but that it will also ensure institutional self-examination. By undergoing a self-study prior to Commission visits, institutions will also be better prepared for on-site evaluations.The self-study involves a program analysis in terms of the accreditation standards and an assessment of total education program effectiveness. It includes a review of all activities relative to its stated institutional purposes and objectives, and a realistic appraisal of its achievements and deficiencies. The self-study process permits a program to measure itself qualitatively prior to evaluation by a visiting on-site committee of peers from dental education and the profession.
• Site Visitor Evaluation Report ( Appendix 3.6 ): The Site Visitor Evaluation Report (SVER) is used to summarize the visiting committee’s findings on each aspect of the program. The SVER follows the order of the standards and requires responses to statements that reflect the accreditation standards. This report is the document you will use to record your findings during the site visit. It is the basis for the written site visit report with its suggestions and recommendations. This written report and the institutional response to it are the documented basis for Commission action.
• Data Profile is a compilation of information about the program as reported by the program in its Annual Survey (Appendix 3.7) for the past five years. This data should be used to verify the information provided in the self-study report.

Each member of the site visit team has a defined role during the visit; however, it is also valuable to understand the process as a whole to better understand individual roles.

In preparation for the visit, you are expected to:

• Become thoroughly familiar with all materials submitted by the institution. Aspects of the program that appear deficient or require further clarification should be identified during this review. If specific materials you think would be useful are excluded from the report, make a request for the materials through the site visit team Chair/Staff Representative . He/She will contact the institution and ask for a response before the visit. The program may send the materials or have them available at the time of the visit.
• Become thoroughly familiar with relevant Accreditation Standards and the Site Visitor Evaluation Report.
• Determine whether appointments have been scheduled with the individuals you wish to interview.

During the visit, Site Visitors are expected to:

• Meet with other member(s) of the visiting committee and/or Commission staff the evening before the site visit to review the agenda and materials for the visit.
• Follow the suggested agenda that has been developed by the program and the site visit team chair/Staff (Appendix 3.8 – Sample Site Visit Schedule ). The site visit is organized to follow the division of labor and general sequence of site visit activities specified in the agenda as closely as possible.
• Conduct interviews.
• Tour the physical facilities related to your area. Off-campus clinical facilities may be visited if a significant portion of each student’s/resident’s educational experience is provided at that site. (See Policy on Off-Campus Sites in EOPP)
• patient records (to be reviewed onsite only)
• inpatient and outpatient statistics
• records of numbers and types of procedures performed
• course outlines
• objectives for courses and off-service rotations
• records of clinical supervision of residents/students
• Debrief program administrators at the end of each day. The staff representative or chair of the visiting team usually conduct this.
• Prepare a draft of your section of the written report.
• Conduct final conferences. The chair or staff representative usually conducts this meeting. Upon conclusion of the evaluation, Site Visitors must inform the program administrators (Dean, Director, Chairperson, etc.) of their findings. The final conference is of critical importance and must never be eliminated or slighted. No site visitor should leave a program without providing a thorough debriefing.

It is also necessary to meet briefly with the appropriate institutional administrator(s) (President, Chancellor, Deans, etc.). They must be informed of the committee’s findings at the time of the site visit.

After the visit, Site Visitors are expected to:

• Participate in completing a collaborative SVER for the site visit team. Only one report, a collaborative effort, should be submitted by the chairman/staff representative to the Commission office. Site Visitors should ensure that they have all information pertinent to these assignments before leaving the site. Contact with the institution, program and/or faculty regarding the visit is prohibited after the site visit is concluded.
• Submit travel reimbursement form. Per diem and travel expenses will be reimbursed following receipt of the completed reimbursement paperwork and appropriate receipts. Policy on Volunteer Travel
• Within one month of the visit, a post-site visit evaluation form will be e-mailed to the visiting committee. Please submit the post site visit evaluation form to the Commission office.
• Review and return to the Commission office the written draft report with comments, by the requested date. (Commission staff prepares the preliminary draft report based on the report completed by the Site Visitors. The draft is sent to Site Visitors for review and comment to ensure that it accurately reflects their findings. Site Visitors should retain a copy of their evaluation report to facilitate this process. The approved written draft is then forwarded to the institution for review and comment.)
• Following the site visit, Site Visitors will be provided instructions on the appropriate destruction of all site visit materials.
• The team’s approved written report, along with comments and additional information from the institution, is considered by the Commission and its Review Committee(s) at a regularly scheduled meeting. The institution will be notified of the Commission’s action within 30 days following the Commission meetings.

Review and Practice 3.2: Summarize the general responsibilities of all site visitors prior to the visit, during the visit, and after the visit.

A thorough review of the institution's self-study is essential in your preparation for the site visit. Experienced site visitors offer the following suggestions to ensure that you are well prepared for the visit when you arrive:

• Review the accreditation standards first . It is a good idea to review the accreditation standards and the Site Visitor Evaluation Report (SVER) before you look at the self-study so that you have the Commission's standards in mind as you review the program description.
• Cleanse your biases . It is important to be as objective as possible when you review the self-study. Avoid assumptions based on the nature of the sponsoring institution. Try to understand the program on its own terms. Above all, don't expect the program you review to be structured like your program.
• Read the self-study as though it were a textbook, not a novel . First, read the self-study straight through to get an understanding of how it all fits together. Then read it again. Be active rather than passive. Underline, highlight, take notes and formulate questions as you read. Remember that your goal is not just to familiarize yourself with the program, but to understand it well enough so that you can discuss it intelligently with program personnel. Note essential information, especially mission, goals, philosophy, and institutional effectiveness; in addition focus on:

Names of key program personnel:

• dean and administrators
• department chair(s)
• course directors
• key faculty
• people you will interview

Statistical short list:

• clinical board results
• national board scores
• certification board results
• senior survey results
• curriculum data
• job placement rates
• maintained compliance with previous recommendations

Program structure:

• who teaches basic sciences
• distribution of preclinical courses
• when does clinical experience begin
• how is the clinical program structure

Unique features:

• nature of patient population
• areas of emphasis

This information should be readily accessible. If you've done your homework, you should not have to consult the self-study repeatedly on-site to remember basic program characteristics.

• Formulate questions about the program based on the self-study. What SVER questions can’t you answer from the self-study? What aspects of the program do you need to know more about? Are there major discrepancies in the self-study and its supporting documentation? What are the apparent problem areas?
• Categorize questions under broad topic areas. The site visit schedule will provide information about which you will interview. List questions by interview session, so that you will ask each group all of the pertinent questions. Finding individuals a second time to ask missed or forgotten questions is very difficult due to the busy schedule for the visit. You should be able to locate your questions easily.
• Keep the big picture in mind. Try not to nitpick or focus on minor discrepancies. You can avoid this by listing questions in priority based on the SVER form. You must have answered ALL of the SVER questions by the end of the site visit, including the narrative responses related to outcomes assessment and program effectiveness. You must also note the program's compliance with the complaint and third party comments policies.
• Even though you've read the book, you have to see the movie. Some program directors are more skilled at preparing self-studies than others. Do not assume that a poorly written self-study reflects a weak program or that a well-written self-study reflects a strong program. Information not provided in the self-study must be obtained on site. There may be more (or less) going on in the program than is reflected on paper. That's why you are conducting a site visit!

Review and Practice 3.3: How do you evaluate your portion of the self-study if it is very different from your own institution or from the one you attend?

At the conclusion of the site visit there may be at least two final conferences scheduled (there may be more than two), one with the program administrators and one with the President of the institution. The chair of the visiting team or staff representative conducts the final conference. Individuals present during these conferences differ depending on the type of program visited and the preferences of the institutional administrators.

The final conference with the program’s chief administrator (Dental Dean or Program Director) as well as any other individuals he or she wants present is scheduled first. The meeting with the administrator(s) of the sponsoring institution (Chancellor/Provost/President/CEO) usually takes place immediately following the final conference. Unit 6 of the training manual contains a complete overview of the final conferences and presentation of findings.

Site visits differ in length depending on size and number of programs being reviewed at each institution. Visits to a dental school/college are usually accomplished in 2.5 days. Visits to allied dental programs range in time from 1.5 to 2.5 days. Visits to advanced programs in non-dental school settings are one to two days.

Dental school/college site visit teams usually include six site visitors, a chairperson, and Commission staff. Additional team members are added if there are multiple graduate or allied programs and/or a number of external sites. Advanced and allied education visits to a single program will usually include two site visitors, one of whom serve as chair/staff representative, and may include a Commission staff. Advanced and allied education visits to multiple programs concurrently will usually have one site visitor for each program area and Commission staff. During allied education visits, a dentist or national association of dental laboratories site visitor will also be included.

The program director and the site visit team chair/staff representative establish the site visit schedule. A sample schedule can be found in Appendix 3.8. Site Visitors should arrive the evening before the visit for a pre-visit meeting with the site visit team. Every attempt is made to follow the sequence and maintain the time frames in the schedule. Evening meetings are held to review the day’s activities and prepare for the next day. Departure from the site follows the final conferences.

Several weeks before the site visit you will receive:

• A letter confirming your appointment to the visit, the date of the visit, the hotel accommodations plus air travel information;
• The self-study report from the program;
• Information and statistics from the Commission;
• An agenda listing the personnel and activities that are scheduled for the visit. To ensure prompt reimbursement, travel reimbursement and receipts should be completed and returned with the appropriate documentation as soon as you return from your visit.

Individual Responsibilities

• Will conduct a briefing session with the entire visiting committee relative to the philosophy of the Commission on the approach, purpose and methodology of the conduct of the site visit on the evening prior to the first day of the site visit;
• Will be responsible for the continual reinforcement of the above concepts during the course of the site visit and for monitoring continually the conduct of the site visit;
• Will brief visiting committee members as to their role as a fact-finding and reporting committee and the appropriate protocol during the course of the site visit; including what is expected of each member in terms of kinds of activities and relative to the report of findings and conclusions and recommendations, with adequate background rationale for making recommendations and enumerating strengths and weaknesses in the education program being evaluated;
• Will lead all assigned conferences and executive sessions;
• Will serve as liaison between the visiting committee members and the dental administration and the executive administrators of the institution;
• Will make specific and special assignments to individual visiting committee members relative to evaluating and reporting on specific matters and sections of the site visit report, e.g. administrative organization, faculty, library facilities and resources, research program, facilities and equipment, admission process, hospital program(s), student achievement;
• Will be responsible for ensuring that consultants/site visitors fully understand their responsibility for reporting adequately, but succinctly, in their area of expertise (finance, curriculum, basic sciences, clinical sciences and national licensure);
• Will consult with the dental administration at regular intervals to discuss progress of the visit;
• Will be responsible, during executive sessions with visiting committee members, for the separation of recommendations from suggestions–focusing upon the recommendations which are to be included in the site visit report which are considered to be major, critical and essential to the conduct of the education program(s); suggestions for program enhancement are to be included as part of the narrative of the report; and
• Will be responsible for the preparation of a written summary of the visiting committee’s conclusions, findings, perceptions and observations of the program(s)’ in the form of suggestions and recommendations, as appropriate, for oral presentation during the exit interview with the Dean, and for presentation of an abbreviated summary during the exit interview with the institution’s executive administrators.
• Assessment of the school’s mission statement;
• Assessment and evaluation of the school’s planning, and achievement of defined goals related to education, patient care, research and service;
• Assessment of the school’s outcomes assessment process; and
• Evaluation of the school’s interaction with other components of higher education, health care education or health care delivery systems.
• Assessment of the number and distribution of faculty in meeting the school’s stated objectives;
• Assessment of the school’s faculty development process;
• Assessment of the school’s faculty governance;
• Assessment of the school’s measurement of faculty performance in teaching, patient care, scholarship and service; and
• Assessment of the school’s promotion and tenure process.

Will confer with the sponsoring institution’s chief financial officer(s) and the dental administration and its financial manager to assess the adequacy of the full spectrum of finance as it relates to the dental school including:

• Assessment of the operating budget and budgeting process;
• Assessment of all sources of revenue (state, federal, tuition and fees, practice plans, etc.);
• Evaluation of the maintenance of the facilities and learning resources to support the school’s mission and goals;
• Assessment of the school’s compliance with applicable regulations;
• Assessment of the resources for planned and/or future renovations and/or new construction; and
• Assessment of the school’s resources as they relate to its mission and goals.

Will examine the education program and the educational support services including:

• Assessment of admission criteria
• Assessment of admission policies and procedures
• Assessment of student body diversification

Instruction

• Assessment of course syllabi and outlines as related to the school's defined competencies
• Assessment procedures for student due process

Curriculum Management

• Evaluation of the goals of the dental education program
• Evaluation of the program's competencies and assessment of the competencies
• Evaluation of the integration of behavioral and biomedical sciences with the clinical sciences
• Evaluation of all courses with respect to the defined competencies
• Assessment of the school's ongoing curriculum review process
• Assessment of the school's patient care experiences in terms of meeting the school's defined competencies

Behavioral Sciences

• Evaluation of behavioral sciences relating to patient centered care
• Assessment of patient population diversity and student competency in interpersonal and communication skills

Practice Management

• Evaluation of the school's competencies in oral health care management and delivery

Ethics and Professionalism

• Evaluation of the school's competencies in ethical, legal and regulatory concepts

Information Management and Critical Thinking

• Assessment of the use of critical thinking and problem solving
• Assessment of the utilization of information technology

Student Services

• Assessment of student counseling, due process, student advocacy, financial aid including student loan repayment information, and student health services

Will work closely with curriculum consultant/site visitor to ensure consistency of evaluation and assessment. During the formal and informal evaluation of the basic sciences, the consultant/site visitor will conduct personal interviews with students, faculty and departmental chairpersons and during the assessment will focus on:

Biomedical Sciences

• Assessment of the school's stated competencies in terms of foundational knowledge for clinical competencies
• Assessment of the depth, scope and quality of instruction

Research Program

• Evaluation of the school's research program as it relates to its mission and goals
• Evaluate student opportunities for research
• Evaluate faculty opportunities to engage in research
• Within the limitations imposed by the length of the site visit, will examine and evaluate the preclinical and clinical portions of the predoctoral dental education program and activities in terms of the details of what is occurring in these areas and assess the quality of the education and experiences provided to students to prepare them for dental practice.
• Will work closely with the curriculum Site Visitor to ensure consistency of evaluation and assessment.
• During the formal and informal evaluation of the preclinical and clinical sciences, will conduct personal interviews with students, faculty and departmental chairpersons and during the assessment will focus upon:
• Assessment of the school's ability to provide adequate patient care experiences to all students
• Evaluation and assessment of student attainment of competency Assessment of student competency in providing basic life support

Patient Care Services

• Evaluation and assessment of the dental school's quality assurance system including:

Standards of care, patient care and patient record review, mechanism to determine treatment deficiencies, outcomes and corrective measures

• Evaluation of the school's delivery of comprehensive care
• Evaluation of written statement of patient rights
• Evaluation of the school's patient access to dental emergencies
• Evaluation to the school's policies on the safe use of ionizing radiation
• Evaluation of the school's policies and procedures on infection and biohazard control and the disposal of hazardous waste
• Evaluation of the school's policy on patient confidentiality

During the formal and informal evaluation of the clinical program, will conduct personal interviews with students, faculty and departmental chairpersons and during the assessment will focus upon:

• stated objectives;
• adequacy of instruction;
• appropriateness of subject matter;
• intra/extra-mural experiences;
• student clinic requirements;
• student performance evaluation mechanisms;
• sterilization of instruments;
• patient care policies;
• laboratory tests for patients;
• patient physical examinations; and clinic administration.

Disciplines include: Advanced Dental Education Programs in Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics (Combined and Maxillofacial), Advanced Education in General Dentistry, General Practice Residency, Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, and Dental Anesthesiology.

Advanced education program site visitors will utilize the site visitors’ evaluation report form for their respective area, conduct personal interviews with Program Directors, faculty and students, and assess the advanced education program focusing upon:

• administration and staff;
• admissions procedures;
• physical facilities and equipment;
• didactic program (biomedical, lecture, seminar and conference program)
• clinical program;
• evaluation of residents;
• research activities and requirements;
• library resources;
• hospital program; and
• teaching conducted by residents.

An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the advanced education program is based upon the published accreditation standards for each respective program.

A. Site Visit Chair

• Will function as chairperson/staff representative of visiting committee of consultants/site visitors evaluating the allied dental education programs in dental assisting, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology;
• Will be responsible for the continual reinforcement of the Commission’s procedures to be used for the site visit and for monitoring continually the conduct of the visit;
• Will brief consultants/site visitors as to their role as a fact finding and reporting committee and the appropriate protocol during the course of the site visit; including what is expected of each consultant/site visitor in terms of kinds of activities and relative to the report of findings and conclusions and recommendations, with adequate background rationale for making recommendations and enumerating strengths and weaknesses in the education program being evaluated;
• Will chair all conferences and meetings of the allied dental visiting committee, as well as those which occur during the visiting committee’s executive sessions;
• Will be responsible for maintaining closely the site visit evaluation schedule;
• Will serve as liaison between the visiting committee and the allied dental visiting committee members;
• Will make specific and special assignments to individual visiting committee members relative to evaluating and reporting on specific matters and sections of the site visit report, e.g. administrative organization, faculty, library facilities and resources, research program facilities and equipment, admissions process, hospital program(s), student achievement;
• Will be responsible for ensuring that consultants/site visitors fully understand their responsibility for reporting adequately, but succinctly, in their area of expertise;
• Will consult with the allied dental administration at regular intervals to discuss progress of the visit;
• Will be responsible, during executive sessions with visiting committee members, for the separation of recommendations from suggestions – focusing upon the recommendations which are to be included in the site visit report which are considered major, critical and essential to the conduct of the education program(s). Suggestions for program enhancement are to be included as part of the narrative of the report; and
• Will be responsible for the preparation of a written summary of the visiting committee’s conclusions, finding, perceptions and observations of program(s) strengths, weaknesses, recommendations and suggestions for oral presentation during the exit interview with the dean, and for presentation of an abbreviated summary during the exit interview with the institution’s executive administrators.

B. Dentist: A dentist is also included, when at all possible, on site visits to dental assisting and dental hygiene programs in settings other than dental schools. An additional dentist consultant/site visitor will be added to dental school visiting committees when multiple programs are to be reviewed.

The role of the dentist team member during allied site visits includes the following responsibilities:

• Take notes during conferences;
• Conduct meeting with advisory committee, when applicable;
• Ensure confidentiality by waiting to begin the meeting until all affiliated school personnel have left the room;
• Introduce the visiting committee to the advisory committee members;
• Thank the members of the committee for meeting with the team and for their interest in and commitment to the specific allied program(s);
• Explain the purpose of the site visit;
• Discuss the Commission’s policy on confidentiality as it applies to the meeting and the entire site visit;
• How often the committee meets and the purpose or goals of the committee
• Strengths/weaknesses of the students
• Specific current committee activities and future goals or anticipated activities
• Ensure that all of the questions in the Site Visit Evaluation Report form under Standard 1. Institutional Effectiveness, Community Resources are answered during the meeting;
• Assist Curriculum Consultant/Site Visitor in review of science courses;
• Review clinical courses and clinical evaluation mechanisms;
• Review learning resources – library & audiovisual materials/equipment (It is usually most efficient for this review to be conducted by the dentist consultant/site visitor only.);
• Review documentation in the self-study prior to visit;
• Conduct preclinical, clinical, and/or laboratory observations (on/off campus) with Curriculum Consultant/Site Visitor;
• Extended campus laboratory facilities
• Extramural clinical facilities
• Review equipment and instruments using Site Visit Evaluation Report Checklist under Standard 4. Educational Support Services;
• Formulate recommendations and suggestions; and
• After the visit, review and critique preliminary draft of the site visit report.

Disciplines include: Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Dental Laboratory Technology, Dental Therapy, Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Advanced Education General Dentistry, General Practice Residency , Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, and Dental Anesthesiology

• Uses the Site Visitor Evaluation report (SVER) form for their respective area.
• Assists with identification of off-campus sites to be visited.
• Conducts interviews with program directors, faculty and students/residents.
• administration and staff
• admissions procedures
• physical facilities and equipment
• clinical program
• evaluation of students/residents
• research activities and requirements
• library resources
• intra/extramural experiences
• hospital program
• teaching conducted by students/residents
• Assesses the allied and advanced education program strengths and weaknesses based on the Accreditation Standards.
• One representative selected by the institution in consultation with the Commission from two names submitted by the state board of dentistry to the Commission.
• The state board representative is encouraged to attend all scheduled conferences and executive sessions of the visiting committee.
• The state board representative participates in the site visit to develop a better understanding of the accreditation process and its role in ensuring the competence of graduates.
• The dental, advanced dental and allied dental education programs are evaluated against the approved accreditation standards for each respective discipline.

While on-site the state board representative:

• provides assistance in interpreting the state’s dental practice act and/or provides background on other issues related to dental practice and licensure within the state.
• on allied dental education visits: assists the team in assessing the practice needs of employer-dentists in the community and in reviewing those aspects of the program which may involve the delegation of expanded functions.
• on dental school visits: functions primarily as a clinical consultant, working closely with the clinical specialist member(s) who evaluate the adequacy of the preclinical and clinical program(s) and the clinical competency of students.

During their initial site visits, new Site Visitors are teamed with experienced Site Visitors and/or staff who provide guidance on the Site Visitor's role and on interpretation of Commission policies and accreditation standards.

When a consultant/site visitor cannot attend a formal consultant/site visitor training workshop or if it is determined that additional training is warranted, s/he may be requested to attend a site visit as a trainee. The trainee is accompanied by a Commission staff member or staff representative and a comparable experienced consultant/site visitor who provide ongoing training and guidance.

The trainee must sign the Commission’s Agreement of Confidentiality prior to the site visit and must not have a conflict of interest with the institution. The consultant/site visitor trainee, if authorized to participate in the site visit by the institution, receives all self-study materials from the institution and background information from the Commission prior to the site visit.

The trainee participates during all site visit conferences and executive sessions. In the event the chairperson/staff representative of the site visit committee determines that a vote is necessary to make a recommendation to the Commission, the trainee will be considered a non-voting member of the site visit committee.

Commissioners, Review Committee members, public members of the Commission or Review Committees may participate on site visits as observers. The observer must not have a conflict of interest with the institution. This individual must be approved to participate in the site visit by the institution, receives all self-study materials from the institution and background information from the Commission prior to the site visit. This individual participates during all site visit conferences and executive sessions as a non-voting member of the site visit committee. As a participant of the site visit, it is expected that this individual will remain with the designated site visit team members at all times during the visit. The chairperson of the site visit committee has the right to excuse and/or exclude the observer from any or all aspects of the site visit for improper and/or unprofessional behavior.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the accreditation and site visit processes, any dental education program scheduled for a regularly-scheduled site visit of its program, may request the opportunity to send one administrator or faculty member as a silent observer to a Commission site visit.

Representatives of international programs may also participate as a silent observer on a Commission site visit. The silent observer visit will be scheduled one to two years before the scheduled site visit of the observer’s program. The program being observed has the right to approve the designated observer. Requests for a faculty member or administrator to observe the site visit of another program are managed according to when the observer’s site visit is scheduled. The observer’s program pays all expenses for such an observer.

The observer receives all self-study materials and is allowed to observe all interviews and meetings, but does not attend the briefing at the end of each day. The observer must remain silent during all sessions where university and/or program officials, faculty, staff or students are present at the site visit. The observer is encouraged to ask questions of the visiting committee during executive session meetings only but does not participate in decision-making discussions. As an observer of the site visit, it is expected that this individual will remain with the designated site visit team members at all times during the visit.

All observers must sign the Commission’s Agreement of Confidentiality prior to the site visit. The chairperson of the site visit committee has the right to excuse and/or exclude the observer from any or all aspects of the site visit for improper and/or unprofessional behavior. The chairperson’s decision to remove or exclude an observer from the site visit cannot be appealed.

A representative of the state dental society may attend a comprehensive dental school site visit as a silent observer, if requested by the society and approved by the institution.

Evaluation and Operational Policies and Procedures (PDF)

Policy on Professional Conduct and Prohibition Against Harassment (DOC)

The following links will connect to site visit documents for these specific disciplines:

• Predoctoral Dental Education
• Advanced Dental Education
• Allied Dental Education

Start Unit 4

During this unit you will learn the data collection and the verification process that should be used while on-site.

You can view a full list of the modules  on the New Site Visitors page.

Certification of Health IT

Health information technology advisory committee (hitac), health equity, hti-1 final rule, information blocking, interoperability, patient access to health records, clinical quality and safety, health it and health information exchange basics, health it in health care settings, health it resources, laws, regulation, and policy, onc funding opportunities, onc hitech programs, privacy, security, and hipaa, scientific initiatives, standards & technology, usability and provider burden, selecting an ehr system.

After your organization has narrowed its list of potential electronic health record (EHR) vendors to a few potential choices, you should conduct vendor selection site visits with other providers for each potential EHR choice. Site visits with other providers will help your organization learn more about your potential choices and gather lessons learned from your peers.

Conducting a Vendor Selection Site Visit

The first step is asking potential EHR vendors for lists of providers who have successfully implemented their EHR products and contacting the providers to schedule time to visit the providers in person. For best results, try to find organizations similar to yours in terms of specialty, geographic location, and size. It’s also helpful to find sites through channels other than potential EHR vendors. You can connect with your local Regional Extension Center  or local provider organization to find additional sites.

After you select the sites, you can use the following guidelines to ensure your site visit is productive.

• Prepare a list of questions in advance .
• Carefully select your site visit team. Your team should include someone from each department in your organization (including the administration, billing, and clinical departments) as well as your EHR implementation team leader. Your EHR implementation team leader can navigate the site visit and take notes.
• Pair up manager with manager and physician with physician so your site visit team can ask detailed workflow questions specific to your organization’s specialty, geographic location, and size.
• Visit the sites while they are seeing patients and observe a patient visit from check-in to check-out at each site. Remember, you should follow all HIPAA procedures when participating in patient visits.
• Ask the host sites to schedule group meetings during the site visits to discuss lessons learned and best practices.
• Exchange contact information with each site in case you need to ask follow-up questions.
• Schedule an internal debrief after each site visit to discuss findings.

For More Information

For more information about selecting an EHR system, see the following resources.

• Step 3: Select or Upgrade to a Certified EHR
• What types of questioould we ask during vendor selection site visits?
• How do I select a vendor?

Open Survey

Site Monitor Visits

Study sites are monitored to ensure oversight of the clinical research study by the sponsor..

Regular site monitor visits can be broken down into four types: pre-study visits, initiation visits, periodic monitoring visits, and close-out visits.  Study sites may also be monitored or audited by the FDA, Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), IRBs and sponsors.  For more information on site audits by outside entities please visit the training documents on  Quality Management: Audits .

Pre-Study Visits

Pre-study visits (site selection visits or site qualification visits (SQVs)) are conducted to determine if the investigator and clinical site have the capability to conduct the study. During this visit, both an investigator and a study coordinator must be available. When applicable, pharmacy staff may also need to be available. The monitor will usually request a tour of the facility and time to discuss the basic fundamentals of the protocol and how that relates to the feasibility of recruiting potential participants.

Other topics of discussion during the pre-study visit include:

• Investigator responsibilities
• Qualifications of investigator or other site personnel
• Study objectives, protocol-required procedures, eligibility criteria, and patient recruitment
• IRB (e.g., informed consent requirements)
• Adverse event reporting, source documentation, and record retention
• Space requirements, availability of a secure area to store investigations drug or devices, availability of required equipment

Initiation Visits

A Site Initiation Visit (SIV) is when the research study team receives adequate training from the sponsor or CRO on the protocol. It is also the opportunity for the sponsor or CRO to ensure that the investigator fully understands his/her responsibilities (21 CFR 312 Subpart D). This visit usually occurs after the site has completed all regulatory requirements and has obtained IRB approval for the research study at their site. The initiation visit is the last step before the study site is activated for enrollment by the sponsor.

During study start-up, a sponsor may choose to hold an investigator meeting for a large number of sites in lieu of conducting many site initiation visits. If you are required to travel to an investigator meeting for a study, visit the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for OSU’s travel policies.

Other topics of discussion during the site initiation visit include:

• Study overview, eligibility criteria, procedures, access to suitable patient population
• Lab manual, requirements for research sample processing and shipping
• Regulations and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, informed consent requirements, IRB obligations, adverse event reporting, drug accountability
• Data forms review including Case Report Forms (CRFs)
• Regulatory documents and study file organization
• 21 CFR 312 Subpart D Responsibilities of Sponsors and Investigators
• OSP Travel  

Periodic Monitoring Visits

The sponsor and/or CRO will develop a monitor plan that includes the frequency and duration of periodic monitor visits. The focus of these visits is to evaluate the way the study is being conducted and to perform source document verification. These visits can occur every few weeks to once a year and can take less than one day up to several days at a time.  It is important to be familiar with the contract agreements, as they may contain the agreement as to the frequency and duration of site monitoring visits and the sponsor’s data entry expectations. The contract agreement should match what the sponsor and/or CRO creates in the site monitor plan.

At the beginning of the study, it should be determined where the monitor or monitors will work while they are on site. Ideally, the monitor should have their own workspace separate from the research study team. In addition, many monitors require internet access for their laptops. Instructions for OSUMC guest wireless can be found  here .

Preparing for a periodic monitoring visit:

• Identify a quiet place for the monitor to work and ensure access to a copy machine, phone, water fountain, and restroom
• Complete all necessary CRFs
• Confirm that Serious Adverse Event (SAE) forms have been submitted and are available for review
• Obtain medical records for the CRFs to be reviewed
• Organize study file documents for review
• Confirm that signed consent forms for all enrolled participants are available
• Schedule an appointment for the monitor to visit the pharmacy if needed
• Schedule time for the study coordinator to meet with the monitor towards the end of the visit to review findings
• Schedule time for the investigator to meet with the monitor towards the end of the visit to review findings

Close-Out Visits

When the research study has been completed at a site, a close-out visit occurs. This type of visit can take the form of an on-site visit or, in some cases, be conducted via a telephone call. Some close-out visits are also combined with a final periodic monitoring visit.

Action items during the close-out visit may include:

• Discuss timelines and strategies for the completion of outstanding case report forms and queries
• Return or destruction of study drug
• Collect outstanding patient data forms and study forms such as the screening and monitoring logs
• Perform a final review of the study file documents
• Discuss the plans for record retention
• Discuss ongoing investigator responsibilities

Liu, M.B. and Davis, K.; Chapter 6: Monitoring.  Lessons from a Horse Named Jim: a Clinical Trials Manual from the Duke Clinical Research Institute . Durham, NC: Duke Clinical Research Institute, 2001. Print.

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Should this father be trying to communicate in the language of the places he visits if it’s embarrassing his son?

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John Hodgman is the host of the “Judge John Hodgman” podcast. More about John Hodgman

John Hodgman  is the host of the “Judge John Hodgman” podcast.  More about John Hodgman

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