Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
Assignment Content
Practice – Healthcare Accreditation
Healthcare systems and patients benefit from accreditation standards. Many accrediting bodies are represented in various practice settings. This activity is designed to expose you to some of the major aspects of accreditation and see how it affects quality and safety.
Explore The Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) sites to understand what standards these accreditors require participants to meet. Consider:
History and original purpose for creation
Purpose for existence now—how has it evolved?
Where the requirements for each agency are publicly reported
Why public reporting of metrics is important
How each body operates Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
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Although we focused on CARF and The Joint Commission in this activity, there are many other accrediting bodies to consider:
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC)
American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)
American Osteopathic Association Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (AOA/HFAP)
Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ)
Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNV Healthcare)
Review the prompts above and summarize your notes in 525 words for future reference.
Submit your assignment.
Healthcare Accreditation
Accreditation standards are promoted by the healthcare system as a means of improving clinical practice and organizational performance. Healthcare accreditation, according to Tabrizi and Gharibi (2019), is the process by which trained and skilled peer reviewers assess whether a healthcare organization complies with previously established performance standards. Unlike licensure, healthcare accreditation is a continuous process aimed at improving care standards continuously (Tabrizi & Gharibi, 2019). There are several standard development organizations, such as the Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), as further discussed below. Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
History and Original Purpose of the Joint Commission, and CARF
Since its inception in 1951, the Joint Commission has been in operation. It is an independent, non-profit organization that was founded with the goal of accrediting programs and organizations in the United States (The Joint Commission, 2022). The agency has evolved into a reputable standard-setting organization, with several accredited members from countries other than the United States. The CARF, on the other hand, was founded in 1966 by two organizations that joined forces to set standards: the Association of Rehabilitation Centers (ARC) and the National Association of Sheltered Workshops and Housebound Programs [NASWHP] (CARF International, 2022). The agency’s original mission was to establish standards for organizations working in human resource fields all over the world.
The purpose for Existence and the Agencies’ Evolution
The Joint Commission’s mission is to continuously improve healthcare by evaluating care organizations and inspiring them to excel in service delivery in collaboration with several stakeholders (The Joint Commission, 2022). Since its inception, the agency has grown to accredit over 22,000 organizations both within and outside of the United States. It has grown to be the nation’s oldest and largest standard-setting and accreditation body in the United States. The CARF, similarly, has steadily grown in size and stature. The journey began with the accreditation of a single program in Canada in 1969 to the most recently accredited North Shore ConneXions Society in 2021. Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
Where Requirements for Each Agency are Publicly Reported
The Joint Commission and the CARF both provide the public with information on the safety and quality of all accredited healthcare organizations. The Joint Commission quality reports are available online via the quality check website at qualitycheck.org and the Joint Commission website (The Joint Commission, 2022). Similarly, the CARF has an online platform where it relays information and reports about its accredited members (CARF International, 2022). The information is available on the CARF International website, and contact information is provided if there is a need for an inquiry, concern, or complaint.
The Importance of Reporting of Metrics
Performance measures are useful for assessing an organization’s progress. Performance measures are critical to the credibility of any healthcare organization, and they must be present in every accredited or certified organization. The Joint Commission’s current performance measure is the ORYX initiative, which incorporates measurement data into the accreditation process (The Joint Commission, 2022). The CARF, on the other hand, has its performance management system that addresses a variety of growing demands in substance abuse, behavioral health, and child and youth services.
How Each Agency Operates
The Joint Commission works with a variety of stakeholders to establish standards, accrediting organizations, and inspire them to excel in service delivery. The Commission fulfills its responsibilities by adhering to four key principles: respect, honesty, fairness, and integrity (The Joint Commission, 2022). The principles have been incorporated into the agency’s core culture, contributing to its status as one of the oldest and most reputable healthcare organizations. Similarly, the CARF provides accreditation to healthcare organizations that provide human services. The agency is guided by firmly established principles such as free service, member confidentiality, impartiality, independence, accessibility, community, and accountability (CARF International, 2022). Regardless of their principles, the goal of both agencies is to improve healthcare safety by accrediting the bodies involved in human service delivery. Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
Conclusion
Accreditation in healthcare is a process that aims to improve the safety of care services provided to clients. Accreditation in healthcare is a continuous process, not a one-time event. As a result, organizations that provide human services must always maintain compliance with the standards established by accreditation bodies. The Joint Commission and the CARF are two of the most reputable accreditation bodies that have been in operation for a long time. Despite operating on different principles, they have a common goal: to strengthen organizations so that they can provide high-quality care. Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
References
CARF International. (2022). Why does accreditation matter? Carf.Org. http://www.carf.org/Accreditation/
Tabrizi, J. S., & Gharibi, F. (2019). Primary healthcare accreditation standards: a systematic review. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 32(2), 310–320. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-02-2018-0052
The Joint Commission. (2022a). Joint Commission FAQs. Jointcommission.Org. https://www.jointcommission.org/about-us/facts-about-the-joint-commission/joint-commission-faqs/
The Joint Commission. (2022b). ORYX Performance Measurement Reporting. Jointcommission.Org. Primary Healthcare Accreditation Standards Essay Paper
