Summary
Considering licensure serves to publicize that the executive satisfies a quality level that has been certified by the state. An established government licensing body can only grant the license, claims Southern Career Institute 2020 (Kawchuk et al., 2020). Only doctors and other healthcare professionals who satisfy the prerequisites are eligible for licensing as practitioners.
For instance, one must complete a recognized educational program and pass a test to demonstrate understanding. Licensing standards specify the required quality for the patient’s care or health service so that it may be provided safely (Berrill & Healy, 2020). These guidelines also describe the expertise required for a company to advertise to the public that it is a hospital. For instance, various regional requirements may call for a healthcare institution to offer specific services, such as 24-hour nurse care for patients or radiological testing—these are just a few examples of what may be necessary to qualify as a hospital. In certain states, the local community must demonstrate a demand for the specified services before opening a hospital or other healthcare facility.
In contrast to licensing, accreditation is often a voluntary program supported by non-governmental groups. External peer assessors evaluate the compliance of the healthcare institution and compare it to established performance criteria. Three primary steps of accreditation are recognized to have an impact on quality. Coherence, organizational buy-in, and organizational action are the steps. The organization and employees will know there is coherence when they acknowledge that the accreditation is consistent with the company’s dependence, conditions, and depiction of service delivery (Berrill & Healy, 2020). The process of getting ready for accreditation can occasionally be drawn out. This process necessitates collaboration with administrators and leaders to update the policies, training materials, and procedures. 98% of responders in a poll conducted by the public health accreditation agreed that accreditation encouraged their organization to raise the bar on quality and performance (Berrill & Healy, 2020). The organization must audit all its departments and units to maintain its accreditation in the healthcare industry. Additionally, unlike licensure, accreditation criteria are often modified to keep up with advances in medical procedures and technology (Berrill & Healy, 2020). An accreditation assessment is performed every few years to verify sure the company conforms. Independent inspectors oversee an onsite inspection as part of the review process to decide if they may accredit the organization.
In order to ensure that a patient receives the highest caliber of treatment from a healthcare professional who has undergone the most stringent scrutiny to determine their eligibility to practice medicine, a procedure known as credentialing is used. Credentialing also ensures that professionals providing patient care have the necessary education, training, licenses, and other credentials to practice medicine (Berrill & Healy, 2020). It not only ensures the health of the patients, but it also keeps all healthcare professionals to the same standards. Having credentials entails having official documentation of one’s licensing, background knowledge, professional experience, and other qualifications. A provider should be recertified every two years and have their rights renewed.
Impact of Accreditation in the United States
Since the establishment of certification organizations in the early 20th century, quality assurance has been practiced extensively in the United States. Their initial mandate was constrained and focused on developing a uniform system for admitting students and facilitating student transfers across universities (Avia & Hariyati, 2019). Therefore, the Joint Commission (TJC) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance have granted NCH globally renowned certification (NCQA). Although neither of the accreditations mentioned earlier is required, the organization will benefit from them. According to NCQ2, their approach “emphasizes greater access so individuals can obtain clinical counsel or medical records as needed.” Accreditation helps NCH stand out from its competitors. It provides a standard of care for the company and demonstrates a commitment to patient safety and quality (Berrill & Healy, 2020). A company can improve staff education with the aid of accreditation agencies. Therefore, the guaranteed impact is that Americans receive the finest healthcare possible. Accreditation and licensure are essential. The rigorous certification procedure used by TJC and NCQA has allowed NCH to demonstrate that they can care for even the most fragile patients.
CMS-Approved Accrediting Organizations
The United States non-profit accreditation body is called the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). It stands in place of CHAP, the Community Health Accreditation Program, and the Joint Commission. Home care healthcare providers founded ACHC in 1985 to develop an accrediting alternative that was more attentive to the requirements of small providers (Desiderio et al., 2018). The group was established in August 1986, and the procedure got underway in Raleigh, North Carolina. In January 1987, accreditation was granted to the first organization. In 1996, the business started providing services on a nationwide scale. Three of the nine recognized programs offered by ACHC now have CMS approval (Home Health, Hospice, DMEPOS).
A three-year accreditation cycle governs the accrediting procedure. Organizations may discover best practices via the process to better serve their clientele. The organization examines its policies and practices and adds them to the Preliminary Evidence Report (PER) for ACHC to assess as the first step in the accreditation process (Desiderio et al., 2018). One of their surveyors will evaluate and make any adjustments that are needed. There will be an unannounced survey within 3–7 months. Once finished, the organization might need to make certain modifications as part of a Plan of Correction (POC) (Desiderio et al., 2018). If the PoC is approved, the organization will receive full accreditation and all the advantages of ACHC accreditation, and they are frequently given excellent ratings.
References
Avia, I., & Hariyati, R. T. S. (2019). Impact of hospital accreditation on quality of care: a literature review. Enfermeria clinica, 29, 315-320.
Berrill, J., & Healy, J. (2020). Hospital licensure, certification, and accreditation. In Patient Safety First (pp. 273–298). Routledge.
Desiderio, M. C., Lundbye, J. B., Baker, W. L., Farrell, M. B., Jerome, S. D., & Heller, G. V. (2018). Current status of patient radiation exposure of cardiac positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging: A report from the intersocietal accreditation commission database. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 11(12), e007565.
Kawchuk, G., Hartvigsen, J., Innes, S., Simpson, J. K., & Gushaty, B. (2020). A Canadian provincial chiropractic regulator uses internet analytics to monitor, evaluate and remediate misleading claims regarding specific health conditions, pregnancy, and COVID-19. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 28(1), 1-7.