The Impact of Accreditation Standards on Quality and Safety in Healthcare- A Comprehensive Overview
Practice – Healthcare Accreditation
Healthcare accreditation is a review process that determines whether or not health organizations are qualified to provide healthcare services and meet the standards set forth. The Accreditation Commission for Healthcare is an example of an accreditation body (ACHC). The primary goal of accreditation is to assess healthcare service agencies’ dedication and commitment to adhering to established standards. Accreditation standards are frequently set by industry experts with the well-being of both providers and patients in mind.
The American Cancer Society has been accredited.
Two major accreditation bodies oversee services provided by American Cancer Society-affiliated healthcare organizations. One of the accreditations is provided by the National Cancer Institute. Such healthcare facilities must meet specific NCI standards requiring sophisticated and world-class cancer research programs. The goal of NCI-accredited cancer centers is to develop effective approaches to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The Commission on Cancer is another mandatory certification that bodies affiliated with the American Cancer Society must have (CoC). The CoC is a group of professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient’s quality of life and increasing their chances of survival. The CoC has established standards to ensure that cancer patients receive high-quality care from healthcare facilities.
The benefits of accreditation of healthcare facilities are shared by all stakeholders, with patients benefiting the most. Accreditation results in patients receiving high-quality healthcare services. Patients are attended to by qualified and credentialed personnel (National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare Providers, 2017). Employees who work in accredited facilities enjoy benefits such as plenty of room for continuous growth and learning, a pleasant working environment, and proper facility leadership. Organizations that receive healthcare accreditation have room to grow indefinitely because they demonstrate a commitment to setting healthcare standards. The community has a higher level of trust in accredited healthcare facilities services.
Before receiving accreditation, a facility must meet high-quality processes and measures in the following areas, according to the Commission on Cancer: expanded access to evidence-based care, patient engagement, continuous quality improvement, and comprehensive team-based care. Accredited facilities must pay their accreditation fees on time in order to maintain their accreditation, according to the policies established by the accreditation bodies (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, 2017). Accredited bodies must also submit their end-of-year reports to the accreditation bodies.
Facilities that lose their accreditation face a number of repercussions. They include high fines for failing to meet the set standards, negative publicity that has a long-term impact on the facility’s public reputation, and a short time to fix the problems that led to the loss of accreditation (Relias Media, 2015).
Licensure
Licensure is required in the healthcare industry. Only qualified professionals can provide healthcare services if they are licensed. Furthermore, licensure ensures that facilities meet standards in terms of having all necessary amenities and having well-trained staff before they are allowed to operate. The payment of license fees is also a source of revenue for the various governing bodies and the government. Licensure is important for patients because it ensures that they receive the best possible care from the healthcare facility (Boulet et al., 2014). Before issuing a license, the licensing body conducts an inspection to ensure that the health facility is capable of providing high-quality care to patients. Licensure is critical for the organization because it establishes credibility and trust with customers. The community benefits from licensure in that it has a dependable health facility from which to obtain quality health services. Licensure is important in healthcare because it drives continuous improvement as organizations strive to meet the requirements for licensure.
Before receiving a license and becoming operational, a cancer care facility must meet certain minimum requirements. The conditions are multifaceted and have an impact on areas such as the facility’s performance, which should be at its peak. Performance implies that, in addition to well-trained staff, the facility has adequate equipment for cancer research and treatment (Florida Health, 2017). To avoid license revocation, the health facility must pay the license fees required by the licensing body and adhere to the standards of practice established. The bad publicity that harms the organization’s reputation is one of the consequences of losing licensure.
Furthermore, the organization may face additional consequences, such as failure to adhere to standards, which may result in license revocation. If a facility loses both accreditations, it may face serious consequences, such as closure. This is due to the facility’s inability to adhere to the standards and legal procedures required for practice.
Conclusion
Accreditation and licensing are both required by the American Cancer Society to govern facilities. The Commission on Cancer and the National Cancer Institute are two of the accreditation bodies. Before a facility can be licensed or accredited, it must first meet the regulations. Failure to follow the rules established by the governing bodies is one of the reasons for the loss of certification and licensure. Loss of accreditation and licensure has serious consequences for affected facilities, including loss of public trust, additional costs to regain certification and licensure, and legal ramifications.
References
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, (2017). Maintain Accreditation. Retrieved from https://www.accme.org/maintain-accreditation
Boulet, J., & van Zanten, M. (2014). Ensuring high‐quality patient care: the role of accreditation, licensure, specialty certification and revalidation in medicine. Medical education, 48(1), 75-86. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/medu.12286
Florida Health, (2017). Cancer Center of Excellence: Re-Designation Manual, June 2017 Performance Measures, Rating System, and Rating Standard. Retrieved from http://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/research/Re_designation %20Manual.pdf
National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare Providers, (2017). Benefits of Accreditation. Retrieved from https://www.nabh.co/BenefitsofAccreditation.aspx
Relias Media, (2015). ‘Immediate jeopardy’ can happen to any hospital. Retrieved from https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/136324-immediate-jeopardy-can-happen-to-any-hospital
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Assignment Content
Practice – Healthcare Accreditation
Healthcare systems and patients benefit from accreditation standards. Many accrediting bodies are represented in various practice settings. This activity is designed to expose you to some of the major aspects of accreditation and see how it affects quality and safety.
Explore The Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) sites to understand what standards these accreditors require participants to meet. Consider:
History and original purpose for creation
The purpose for existence now—how has it evolved?
Where the requirements for each agency are publicly reported
Why public reporting of metrics is important
How each body operates
Or choose an accrediting agency of your choice (one). Below are other possible options. Choose one – complete one.
Although we focused on CARF and The Joint Commission in this activity, there are many other accrediting bodies to consider:
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAC)
Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC)
American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (ASF)
American Osteopathic Association Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (AOA/HFAP)
Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ)
Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNV Healthcare)
Review the prompts above and summarize your notes in 525 words for future reference.
Submit your assignment.
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