BHA FPX 4006 Assessment 4 Voluntary Accreditation

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Capella University

BHA-FPX4006 Health Care Regulation and Compliance

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Date

Overview of Accreditation in Healthcare

Accreditation within the healthcare domain pertains to the process of assessing and certifying the caliber and safety of healthcare establishments and initiatives (Mate, Rooney, Supachutikul, & Gyani, 2014). Typically, accreditation is bestowed by external entities such as The Joint Commission or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), which have delineated benchmarks for healthcare entities to satisfy (Mate et al., 2014). Whether voluntary or obligatory contingent upon the organization and service rendered, accreditation assumes a pivotal role in guaranteeing top-tier care, ameliorating patient outcomes, and bolstering patient contentment (Mate et al., 2014).

Accreditation Prerequisites

In response to market exigencies and burgeoning patient anticipations, both domestic and international accreditation agencies have surfaced to ensure quality oversight and amplify patients’ access to enhanced medical provisions (Flodgren, Gonçalves-Bradley, & Pomey, 2016). Accreditation criteria typically encompass diverse facets such as organizational intent, treatment excellence, patient safety protocols, fiscal resilience, and adherence to legal statutes and regulations (Flodgren et al., 2016). Healthcare entities undergo onsite appraisals by accrediting bodies to manifest adherence to these criteria (Flodgren et al., 2016).

Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance: Comparison and Contrast

Accreditation and regulation represent two disparate methodologies for ensuring performance or quality standards. While accreditation entails third-party scrutiny against established benchmarks, regulation involves formulating and enforcing standards within a particular sector (Nicklin, Engel, & Stewart, 2021). Accreditation often remains voluntary, concentrating on accessibility, cost-effectiveness, efficacy, and evidence-based therapies, whereas regulation typically mandates standardizing healthcare dispensation and ensuring quality care (Nicklin et al., 2021).

How Accreditation Assists Healthcare Entities in Meeting Regulatory Mandates

Accreditation proffers advantages such as onsite inspections, peer evaluations, and counsel on organizational and patient care duties, encompassing governance and leadership (Araujo, Siqueira, & Malik, 2020). By integrating regulations and assessment procedures, accreditation aids in ensuring secure, high-caliber services and efficacious leadership within healthcare entities (Araujo et al., 2020).

The Joint Commission Standards

The Joint Commission delineates patient safety and operational standards annually, accentuating critical elements such as patient identification, staff communication, medication dispensation, alarm management, infection prevention, and continual performance enhancement (Bogh et al., 2015). These standards steer healthcare institutions in implementing policies and protocols to augment patient care and diminish errors (Bogh et al., 2015).

Accreditation Best Practices

Sustaining accreditation necessitates continual endeavors, including routine surveys, identifying disparities between prevailing practices and accreditation standards, learning from past inadequacies, engendering a favorable initial impression during surveys, and nurturing a culture of readiness among personnel (Nicklin et al., 2017).

Other Accrediting Organizations

Entities like the American Accreditation Healthcare Commission (AAHC) furnish accreditation amenities to healthcare organizations, advocating quality care, patient safety, and regulatory conformity (Jha, 2018). AAHC accreditation furnishes manifold benefits, comprising evincing dedication to quality care, boosting patient satisfaction, enhancing credibility, and expediting regulatory compliance (Jha, 2018).

Conclusion

Accreditation proves indispensable for healthcare entities to evince their dedication to quality care, augment patient outcomes, and enhance regulatory conformity. Though it demands investments in time and resources, accreditation confers myriad benefits, including escalated patient safety, contentment, and organizational credibility. Nevertheless, the decision to pursue accreditation should factor in the institution’s distinctive objectives, requisites, and potential merits and demerits (Jha, 2018).

References

Araujo, C. A. S., Siqueira, M. M., & Malik, A. M. (2020). Hospital accreditation impact on healthcare quality dimensions: a systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 32(8), 531–544. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzaa090

Bogh, S.B., Falstie-Jensen, A.M., Bartels, P., Hollnagel, E., Johnsen, S.P (2015). Accreditation and improvement in process quality of care: a nationwide study. International Journal Quality in Health Care, 27(5), 336–43. doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzv053

BHA FPX 4006 Assessment 4 Voluntary Accreditation

Flodgren, G., Gonçalves-Bradley, D. C., & Pomey, M.-P. (2016). External inspection of compliance with standards for improved healthcare outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12, CD008992. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008992.pub3

Jha, A.K (2018). Accreditation, Quality, and Making Hospital Care Better. JAMA, 320(23), 2410–2411. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.18810

Mate, K. S., Rooney, A. L., Supachutikul, A., & Gyani, G. (2014). Accreditation as a path to achieving universal quality health coverage. Globalization and Health, 10(1), 68. doi:10.1186/s12992-014-0068-6

Nicklin, W., Engel, C., & Stewart, J. (2021). Accreditation in 2030. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1). doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzaa156

BHA FPX 4006 Assessment 4 Voluntary Accreditation

Nicklin, W., Fortune, T., van Ostenberg, P., O’Connor, E., & McCauley, N. (2017). Leveraging the full value and impact of accreditation. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 29(2), 310–312. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzx010