Accreditation is a process which ensures the quality assurance in an organization through certification. Kinney(2002) notes that accreditation is a voluntarily process that acts as an assurance in demonstrating that the set standards by other related professional bodies are met. Both the accreditation and regulatory standards ensure that competence, quality assurance, and the credibility of an organization through acknowledgement of a standard third party. The review analysis looks at the accreditation and regulatory standards that exists, strategies used to meet them and whether they are appropriate to the organizational goals.
From the case study it is evident that the healthcare meets some regulatory and accreditation standards. For example, the hospital keeps the records of its clients in database because the old are not treated upon admission but instead past experience is used. The hospital upon receiving the complaints had to comply with the requests and the demand of the nursing home. After running the data the complaints were found to be valid. Thus meeting the demands of clients and satisfying them is a form of accreditation that ensures quality and credibility. According to Cesta and Tahan (2002), the joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations ensures that healthcare providers meet their standards which include quality standards, safety, and quality patient care. The community hospital under the study improved its quality, safety and process care to ensure that the set accreditation and regulatory standards are met.
Some of the strategies used were quality management research which ensures that the validity of a complaint is genuine. Through quality research the quality management team was able to find the problem and give the required direction and measures. Another strategy was the changing of the process and procedures used by the nurses and other healthcare providers to ensure that quality is achieved. This was an appropriate strategy because the nurses were able to provide services and monitor the patients with ease thus preventing any other complain. Offering good health care through healthcare provision change ensured that no further complaints were made and that patients at the nursing homes remained loyal to the hospital. According to Kinney (2002), the strategies applied in accreditation ensure that qualities of services are up to the expected standards.
The staff also received education on how to give care to the elderly patients through improvement of environmental factors, nutritional counseling, and risk assessments, among others. This ensures that the complaints on poor nutrient, falling and poor environmental situations were met. These strategies adopted by the management team of the hospitals were appropriate because they meet the complaints of the nursing home. Healthcare provision was improved as well as the relationship between the hospital and the nursing home. According to Cesta and Tahan (2002), improvement of performance is one of the ways of making sure that accreditation and regulatory standards are met. The strategies also help in meeting the needs of the patients which is the objective of any hospital. According to a report on Hospital accreditation standards (Joint Commission Accreditation Healthcare, 2008), education ensures that support staff or the nurses can effectively handle equipments and offer the required services in a hospital setting. As witnessed, proper strategies ensure that relationship, communication and reliance between administration and the clients is improved.
In conclusion, accreditation and regulatory of standards in the hospitals ensures that quality assurance, quality services and safety in the hospitals. This can be achieved through quality management and complying to any raised complaint. Some of the strategies used include, educating the nurses and change in performance which improves quality, communication and relationship between hospital and clients.
Reference List
Cesta, T. G., & Tahan, H. A. (2002). The case manager’s survival guide: Winning strategies for clinical practice. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby
Joint Commission Accreditation Healthcare. (2008). Hospital Accreditation Standards. Chicago: Jt Comm Of Accred Health
Kinney, E. D. (2002). Protecting American health care consumers. Durham: Duke University Press.