Free templates for readiness work: an evidence map, a finding log and a corrective-action tracker, each an Excel workbook you can use today without signing up. They follow the same sequence Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) uses in readiness work: map documents to a governing text, record gaps as findings, and follow the fixes to closure.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What are the three templates and when do I use each?
| Template | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence map (.xlsx) | Lists each requirement beside the policy, procedure or record that supports it, and marks coverage as Full, Partial, None or Not applicable. | You are preparing for a mock review, a gap assessment or a submission and want to see where support is thin before anyone else does. |
| Finding log (.xlsx) | Records each finding with its source, date, evidence reviewed, severity, root cause and status, and links it to a corrective action. | A mock review, internal audit, monitoring check or reviewer comment has produced findings that need one tracked home. |
| Corrective-action tracker (.xlsx) | Follows each fix from assignment to verified closure, with an owner, a due date, completion evidence and a second-person check. Rows past due turn red. | You have findings to close and need to know what is open, who owns it and what is overdue. |
A short guide (.docx) covers all three.
How do the three fit together?
- A gap on the evidence map becomes a finding in the log.
- Each finding gets one or more rows on the tracker. The Finding ID on the tracker and the Corrective-action ID in the log link them; the same Corrective-action ID appears on both.
- A fix closes only after someone other than the owner verifies it, and the finding's status in the log moves to Closed.
How do the templates fit IHS's method?
In a readiness engagement, IHS works through the same sequence the templates follow. It maps the client's existing documents and records to the governing text, records each gap as a finding, and drafts the policy and program changes that close them. The client's own staff and clinicians review, approve and adopt every change. A mock review then tests whether the changes hold, and any new findings go back into the log. The templates here follow that sequence. How an engagement runs, phase by phase, is on How IHS Works.
What do I need to know before I use them?
- Delete the yellow example rows first. They are fictional.
- Use short element labels in the requirement columns. Keep the full text of any standard in your own source copy.
- Rename the dropdown options in your copy if your program uses different terms for status or severity.
- Enter no patient or member information.
What are these templates not?
- They are not forms issued or required by any accreditor or regulator.
- They are not legal advice, and they do not guarantee any accreditation or regulatory outcome.
- They contain no real client, finding or policy data.
Frequently asked questions
Are the templates really free?
Yes. The three Excel files and the guide download directly from this page. There is no form and no email field. Use and adapt them for your own organization's internal work; do not sell them or republish them as your own.
What software do I need?
Excel, or any spreadsheet program that opens .xlsx files. Each workbook has a 'Read me' sheet, the working sheet, and a 'Summary' sheet that totals the entries with formulas (by status in the finding log and tracker, by coverage in the evidence map). The guide is a Word file.
Do the files contain real client or policy data?
No. The yellow example rows use fictional names such as Example Health Plan and Policy QM-01. Delete them before you start.
Can I paste a standard's text into the templates?
Use short element labels only. Keep the full text of any accreditation standard or regulation in your own licensed or official source copy, and cite it from there.
Do these templates satisfy an accreditor's or regulator's requirements?
No. They are working tools, not forms issued or required by any accreditor or regulator, and they do not guarantee a review outcome. They help you organize your own evidence, findings and fixes.
Should I enter patient or member information?
No. The templates track documents, processes and corrective actions, not individual records.