CASE STUDY C: ACCREDITATION
PROGRAM
Chapter 18
Introduction
Accreditation is starting to play an important role in health care and the quality that is
delivered. There are some purposes of accreditation that are beneficial, it can improve
outcomes. One of the most important reasons for accreditation is improving patient outcome.
A patient should be able to leave in better health status. The NC accreditation program is one of
many states that have adopted the accreditation process being mandatory that health
departments have to go through. This mandatory process will keep many health departments
from popping up, being accredited means it is trusting. From a student’s view, I think the
accreditation program is worth it. In order receive better patient outcome, the accreditation
program should be implemented because it will keep health departments from slacking, better
patient outcomes, and improve health care.
Purposes of accreditation
Accreditation is starting to become popular in many states and even nationally. The
accreditation of health care organizations is a regulatory mechanism used in many countries
around the world (Sollecito, p513, 2013). Accreditation is conceptual for improving the quality
and safety of patients. To be able to have an accredited health organization, one must meet a
set of standards and have demonstrated literacy, authority, and credibility. The goal is for an
organization to achieve their objective outcome and are reliable to continuously improve
quality. Accreditation agencies continually assess organizations and programs to make sure
they’re up to standards. For example, in the case study, the North Carolina Association of local
Health Directors (NCALHD) developed three components; a self-assessment completed by the
local health department, a site visit by a multidisciplinary trained team of peer volunteers and
the determination of accreditation status by an independent accreditation board. Participating
in accreditation has shown communication and cooperation with organizations which promote
change (Sollecito, 2013).
The benefits of being accredited has a number of positives. One of many is providing
good services and ensuring the program is working to improve through feedback. Also being
able to link with other health care organizations to provide even more services. When most
organizations are going through or have gone through the accreditation process, they’re more
likely to be passionate about what kind of health services that are being given. A group of
passionate people will give out great quality and expert care. Great quality and expert care
leads to patient leaving out in better condition.
Is accreditation insufficient means of improving health outcomes?
Improving health outcomes and using accreditation to make is necessary seems to be
leading that way. Patients tend to look for health care facilities that are reliable in improving
care. Accreditation is a way for organizations to stay on top of their means for improving care
and strive to improve their performance in continuous upkeep. There has been evidence that
has shown accreditation improve outcomes. Such accreditation programs like the Joint
Commission helps certify many programs. The Joint Commission’s goal is to benefit the public
through health services. They collaborate with other organizations and provide education to
ensure high level care. The program has accredited over 18,000 organizations. Their viewpoint
is to provide better care and not harming the patients through health care so they feel they
should act more rapidly. A meaning is acting rapidly is finding more avenues to improve patient
care like hand washing techniques. The public its self are demanding changes to ensure better
care.
What most accreditation programs look for are reliable organizations such as good data,
and reliable measures. They want to know if the organization can be prosperous to the
community and beneficial once services are rendered. They would like to see an increase in
accountability and return on investment showing the organization is improving. The
accreditation process is intended to focus on quality improvement and bring staff together to
transform the organization.
The NC Accreditation
The NC Accreditation program receives funding from state legislature. The program had
dealt with a funding cut in the 09-10 fiscal year. To ensure the program is sustainable, the
program has to implement a business model. In the case study, a group of North Carolina public
health system stakeholders known as the Public Health Task Force 2004 (PHTF 2004), came up
with a plan. Their task was to develop recommendations on how to strengthen the state’s
public health system, improve the health status of people, and eliminate health disparities
(Stone). The accomplishment was to develop a set of accreditation standards for the local
health departments. There were as many as 85 health departments being the result, there were
unnecessary administrative cost. Another way to help keep the program sustained is looking at
various options for funding some of which include: seeking nonprofit status for the board, fee
based services, combination of fees and state- appropriated dollars, and foundation support
(Stone). Providing these options will keep the program from being at a standstill to, they will be
able to carry on with the process. It is important to have legislative support and funding.
Legislators also have expectations for health outcomes and accountability for health
departments. To gain support from legislators of funding for accreditation, is examining the
organizational structure of local public health. Organizational structures of local public health
can include, the perception of service variability, need for increased accountability, and the
inability to communicate with the public to name a few.
From a student’s view
From a health care administrative intern perspective, I found the process of determining
what health care department is worth being accredited to. There are many departments that
want to be accredited but have to go through a process, which is a great idea, it keeps many
health departments from popping up and administrative cost to a minimum. Accreditation is a
guarantee that a patient or client can come into a health department and be for certain they
will be delivered. If the qualifications are not met every so often when site visits are made, then
the health department can be easily shut down.
This quality issue is relevant to the course and what I have learned because it is all a part
of continuous quality improvement. According to chapter 16, accreditation, whether in public
health, in other areas of health care, or in related industries, has traditionally been primarily a
quality assurance strategy focused on meeting standards set by experts (Sollecito, p465, 2013).
The goal is to improve and protect the health of communities through accreditation, this helps
the quality and performance advance to higher levels of patient care. Throughout time health
organizations are increasing interested in ensuring quality public health services. Many places
are adopting that accreditation should be mandatory. Governments, insures, and consumers,
via industry groups and voicing community expectations more generally, seek to be reassured
that organizations are making a efforts to achieve published standards or address quality and
safety (Sollecito, p527, 2013). By keeping a set of standards with health departments it has
shown improvements in some areas.
Analysis
There has been many purposes in using accreditation as a tool to continue in better
health care and quality control. Improving health outcomes and using accreditation to make is
necessary seems to be leading that way. Patients want services that are dependable and
trusting. To keep trusting health care services and health departments, accreditation programs
have to stay funded through legislator. The goal is to develop a set of accreditation standards
for the local health departments to keep legislators interested. In all, accreditation is worth
being funded it has shown improvement in some areas.
References
ACCME. (n.d.). youtube.com. Retrieved from Addressing Quality and Safety Challenges: Joint
commission: http://youtu.be/ro6Rdxew5JI
Davis, D. S. (n.d.). North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Program. Case 15,
273-301.
Sollecito, W. A., & Johnson, J.K. (2013). McLaughlin and Kalzuny’s continuous quality
improvement in health care (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.