Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions - Essay Example

ACCREDITATION Accreditation is the assessment of health care s and providers of how well they comply with the standard procedures of providing facility and care to the consumers of those facilities (Nicklin, 2011). The procedure of assessment is conducted by an independent body which assesses the compliance of the health centers according to the standards conformed (Nicklin, 2011). Assessment is made by making visits to the relevant healthcare institution and by conducting surveys from the users of the health care facilities.

There are several benefits of accreditation of healthcare institutions as it mainly ensures that health care providers are meeting the general public health standards and ensuring good quality service to the consumers (CDC, 2012). Health accreditation of institutions acts as a catalyst in improving and strengthening the quality and service provided to its beneficiaries. It also helps them be better prepared for new and reemerging old challenges (CDC, 2012). The accreditation helps measure the institution as to where it standards in terms of meeting its goals and can also act as a SWOT analysis of the institution itself.

The institution can then work on its weaknesses. It also increases the accountability of health institutions towards its stakeholders (CDC, 2012). The major accreditation institutions that accredit health care organizations are (Yahoo, 2012): Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA) American Accreditation Health Care Commission/URAC National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences COLA Continuing Care Accreditation Community National Association of Health Unit Coordinators The accreditation process involves that the organization responsible for accreditation of healthcare institutions has to conduct some procedures in order to ensure compliance with standards and procedures.

Each accrediting organization has its own set of procedures; however, normally the organization responsible for accrediting conducts a survey from the customers in order to see whether they are satisfied with the standard of care provided to them (Nicklin, 2011). This helps the organization in measuring whether the beneficiaries of the healthcare services are happy with the level of service they are getting. The organizations then themselves visit these healthcare institutions in order to check that the services, facilities and procedures are in line with the standards and norms set by the regulating body (Nicklin, 2011).

After making the analysis of the institutions, recommendations are made for improvement and compliance with the standards and regulations set by the regulating body. National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation health care plan has been termed as a gold standard for improving healthcare services and facilities (NCQA, 2012). NCQA’s accreditation status provides a rigorous accreditation program and provides third-party review. It also provides a unique set of standards. It continuously revises its accreditation standards to meet up to clinical advancements and stakeholders wants and needs.

NCQA’s survey is facilitated by Interactive Survey System which is the first Web based tool to be used. (NCQA, 2012) References CDC. (2012, April). National Voluntary Accreditation for Public Health Departments. United States of America. NCQA. (2012, August 11). Health Plan Accreditation. United States of America. Nicklin, W. (2011). The Value and Impact of Health Care Accreditation: A Literature Review. Accreditation Canada. Yahoo. (2012, August 11). Yahoo Directory. Retrieved August 11, 2012, from Yahoo: http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Health_Care/Organizations/Accreditation/