Why Accreditation Matters: What It Means for Healthcare Facilities and You
If you ask 10 people what it means for a healthcare facility to be accredited, probably only one or two will be able to give an accurate or knowledgeable answer.
As a medical journalist, when I first joined COHSASA, I thought that improving healthcare quality in a hospital meant having a five-star dinner and a choice of vintage wines with your meal. I was way off (even though I consider my general knowledge to be quite good), and many people misunderstand the term or confuse it with other healthcare monitoring systems that evaluate current conditions at a facility.
Knowing what accreditation of a healthcare facility means and how it impacts the quality and safety of the care you receive might be immensely valuable to you. At a time when healthcare is becoming increasingly technical, digital, and complicated, the question of whether a facility (a hospital, clinic, emergency service, rehabilitation center, etc.) holds current accreditation has never been more important.
So, What Does Accreditation Mean?
If a healthcare facility has voluntarily undergone an assessment by third-party healthcare professionals – a peer review – and meets rigorous standards relating to all aspects of its operations, including the standard of care it provides, it is granted accreditation.
Now, accreditation should not be confused with regulatory audits, which are usually conducted by a government or health authority and follow a "stick, not a carrot" approach. Certification typically applies to the assessment of basic standards set by a government agency or similar oversight authority, and failure to comply can result in punitive measures.
Accreditation, on the other hand, is a voluntary process where facility teams evaluate whether they meet rigorous standards approved by international authorities. These standards are designed to be reviewed by professional peers to foster excellence and safety in healthcare delivery. The assessment is conducted by an objective third party – an accredited accreditation body. The conceptual foundation behind accreditation is to encourage healthcare workers and professionals to give their best. Think of it as the “carrot” approach.
An accreditation organization – if it is to be reliable, credible, and authoritative – needs to be accredited itself, such as by the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (ISQuaEEA), to name one.
Why It Matters
A current accreditation award displayed in a facility’s reception area should give you peace of mind that the institution where your relative is being admitted will provide the best possible care.
It’s important to emphasize that accreditation does not mean things won’t go wrong or that mistakes won’t be made, because they do happen. However, within an accredited facility, systems are in place to ensure that mistakes are investigated, patients are informed, and lessons are learned to prevent future errors.
A 1999 paper on the incidence of medical errors, published by the Institute of Medicine in the U.S. and updated 250 times since, estimated that:
"At least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many as 98,000 people, die in hospitals each year because of medical errors that could have been prevented, according to estimates from two major studies."
Given these startling statistics, it should provide some peace of mind that there are mechanisms to reduce risk in healthcare facilities. One of these methods is accreditation, which acts as a driver to encourage better practices in delivering safe, quality healthcare.
The Role of ISQua
Reputable accreditors of healthcare facilities are usually accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) External Evaluation Association (ISQuaEEA). It's not just the organization itself that is accredited, but also the standards and training programs provided by the accrediting body.
ISQua is a not-for-profit, independent organization with health and social care members in over 100 countries. It guides health professionals, providers, researchers, agencies, policymakers, and consumers to achieve excellence in healthcare delivery and to continuously improve the quality and safety of care worldwide.
ISQua’s Mission
ISQua’s mission is: "To inspire and drive improvement in the quality and safety of healthcare worldwide through education and knowledge sharing, external evaluation, supporting health systems, and connecting people through global networks."
The ISQuaEEA International Accreditation Programme (IAP) allows accrediting organizations to demonstrate their credibility and benchmark their performance internationally. Operating in over 60 countries, the IAP offers four peer review evaluation options:
Accreditation of Health and Social Care Standards
Accreditation of External Evaluation Organizations
Accreditation of Surveyor Training Programs
Accreditation of Quality and Patient Safety Training Programs
In Malaysia, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) is the accreditation body that manages this duty with guidance from ISQua.
Please note that the views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Vital Signs.
