Initial Post
The article ACA’s Performance-Based Health Care Standards – Accreditation Based on Results by Kathleen McKim is devoted to the changes in the health care program. In particular, the author pays attention to the ACA Performance-Based Health Care Standards, which have been developing to coordinate the work of the health care institutions and to verify the quality of the provided services. At the same time, the author puts additional emphasis on the change in the approach to measuring performance. She says that the focus has been shifted from “what is being done to how well it is succeeding” (McKim, 2001, p.30).
One Facility’s Road to “Accreditation with Commendation”: Opting for a Joint Commission Survey, This Staff’s Hard Work Paid Off is the article by Jeffreys B. Barrett and Martha A. Maite. The authors discuss the changes, which should be implemented to make the Regency Manor Rehabilitation and Subacute Center up-to-date. They stress the importance of the shift to continuous quality improvement (Barrett & Maite, 1996).
The article JCAHO Accreditation and Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction by Jersey Chen, Saif S. Rathore, Martha J. Radford, and Harlan M. Krumholz deal with the effectiveness of JCAHO accreditation and its surveys aimed at the estimation of the quality of health care services. The authors of the article state that the accreditation is effective for quality improvement as the hospitals under its supervision tend to use better medicines for the treatment of patients and have lower 30-day mortality rates (Chen et al., 2003).
Overall, we can say that accreditation influences the quality of health care services. The accreditation is important for the development of the health care system. It should be based on actual results. Quality concerns initiate changes in staff behavior. There has been no analysis specifically addressed to analyze the influence of accreditation on the number of errors but it is obvious that the accreditation supports the credit to health care services due to its continuous attempts to make them of the highest quality. There is a famous phrase by Salvador Dali who said, “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it” (Salvador Dali quotes, 2013, n.pag.).
Response Posts
To Amanda Montgomery
Hi, Amanda,
Thank you for your post. I also think that accreditation is an integral part of quality improvement in healthcare. I agree with you that the provision of the opportunity to choose the hospital for medical treatment shows the value of the accreditation. And last but not least, the accreditation motivates the staff to achieve more and do their job better.
To Barbie Arnaud
Hi, Barbie,
Thank you for your post. I think it is rather interesting. You have touched upon the important aspects of the accreditation effectiveness. In particular, you say about the quality assurance and the initial audit accreditation process. I agree with you that the quality of accreditation itself should be assessed to verify its ability to improve the quality of healthcare. I also think that the effectiveness of the work of medical staff is important for the provision of the services of high quality. In this regard, the accreditation is really helpful as it motivates the staff to do their job better. You are right that it is not the name of the building, which makes the reputation of the hospital, but it is the work of its staff.
References
Barrett, J. B., & Maite, M. A. (1996). One Facility’s Road to “Accreditation with Commendation”: Opting for a Joint Commission Survey, This Staff’s Hard Work Paid Off. Nursing Homes, 45(8), 37-39.
Chen, J., Rathore, S.S., Radford, M. J. & Krumholz, H. M. (2008). JCAHO Accreditation and Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction. Health Affairs, 22(2), 243-254.
McKim, K. (2001). ACA’s Performance-Based Health Care Standards – Accreditation Based on Results. Corrections Today, 63(1), 30-31.
Salvador Dali quotes. (2013). Web.