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ISQua and ACCREDITATION
Setting the Standard for Health Care
Across the world, the external assessment of health care services is being increasingly used to regulate, improve and promote health care services.
Models of external evaluation include accreditation, peer review, inspection, ISO certification, and evaluation using 'business excellence' or other frameworks. Each of these models is evolving to meet changing demands which include public accountability, clinical effectiveness, and improving the quality and safety of services and their outcomes.
What do we mean by 'Accreditation'?
It is:
the longest established and most widely known process for the external evaluation of healthcare services
a formal process to ensure delivery of safe, high quality health care
based on standards and processes devised and developed by health care professionals for health care services
a developmental process using the skills of external peers trained and appointed as a team of assessors
Accreditation:
is public recognition of achievement by a healthcare organisation, of requirements of national healthcare standards
is generally available to public and private sectors
covers a range of healthcare environments from local community-based care through to tertiary level providers and healthcare systems
may have specialised healthcare services as a particular focus
is awarded based on achievement of quality standards and the independent external survey by peers of an organisation's level of performance in relation to the standards.
Other approaches to external evaluation as listed above, cover some of these areas to varying degrees in order to guide healthcare organisations to identify their strengths and also the limitations of the services they are providing.
External evaluation is in demand in many countries.... by governments, healthcare managers, patients and communities:
- wanting to know more about how scarce resources are being used to deliver safe, quality health care and with what results
- for external, independent assessment of the performance of services against formally established standards
ISQua has published a "TOOLKIT for ACCREDITATION" to provide more details about the design and redesign of health care external evaluation systems.
With the support of the World Bank and also the involvement of the World Health Organization, this excellent ISQua resource is available free of charge and can be downloaded from this link - go to: ISQuaAccreditationToolkit
CHECK PROGESS with a CHECKLIST
Crosslinked to the relevant sections of the TOOLKIT and also to ISQua's Standards, this Checklist has been prepared to guide the flow of work and priorities for attention and action - go to: Toolkit Checklist.pdf
ISQua's International Accreditation Program
How can a healthcare external evaluation organization be confident that the standards, training and processes it is using to survey the performance of healthcare systems, meet the highest international benchmarks and are continuously improved?
FOR
Healthcare accreditation, external evaluation and standards setting bodies, and other quality and training organizations,
ISQua provides international programs to assess, survey and accredit:
- Standards
- Organization Performance
- Surveyor/Assessor Training Programs
These are based on best international practice standards and principles. Assessors and surveyors are appointed from countries other than the country of the applicant organization.
The ISQua International Accreditation Process provides a four-year cycle of accreditation which includes:
- assessment tools and guidance
- self-assessment documentation
- previews of standards where applicable
- independent peer assessment of standards, and/or on-site survey of performance
- full reports and recommendations for improvement
- accreditation as a formal recognition of achievement
Additional advisory services are available as required.
ISQua Accreditation is an external evaluation and recognition award that is offered to national or regional accrediting and certifying bodies. ISQua itself does not offer international accreditation or evaluation services to individual hospitals and other health care organizations or to health care professionals.
Who Can Apply?
An applicant organisation will generally be recognised by government or healthcare provider organisations, or professional bodies or equivalent other organizations, as a key body to improve the quality of healthcare for the public by providing available external evaluation services based on quality standards, together with services that support performance improvement in healthcare organisations.
Key stages in the ISQua processes are based on self-assessment methodologies and internal improvements involving as many staff as possible, then assessment by designated trained peers from other countries. Implementation of processes must be sensitive to cultural context and intended use.
Organisations in the process of developing a program, need to also apply to have their standards for healthcare services assessed as a first step.
Successful ISQua Accreditation is generally granted for four years. When completed and endorsed by the ISQua Executive Board, the organization receives a printed summary of the Report and Recommendations, a CD with the full final report and recommendations, an Accreditation Certificate which specifies what has been accredited and for the period of time, an 'ISQua ACCREDITED' logo and guidelines for its use, and an undertaking to ensure that reminders are in progress to alert leaders of the date when re-accreditation for the specific program will fall due.
Organizations which have been surveyed and awarded ISQua Accreditation for their performance as external evaluators of health care, will also work through a Quality Improvement Plan and provide scheduled updates on progress in relation to the recommendations outlined in their survey report. This plan and action will then form the basis for the self-assessment in preparation for the next survey for accreditation as part of the four year accreditation cycle.
Follow these links:
MAKING SURE THAT HEALTHCARE STANDARDS ARE WORLD CLASS!
ACCREDITING THE ACCREDITORS
PROGRAM INFORMATION AND FEES
ISQua - Making Sure that Healthcare Standards are World Class
Thinking about standards?
All external evaluation of healthcare services should begin with a well-establshed and tested set of standards.
- What are the basic processes which need to be completed to achieve this?
- What should be the focus, content and scope of standards?
An organisation must work through these questions before moving on to develop and test its processes for externally evaluating the performance of health care providers.
How can each organisation know if its standards are on track? How can standards be measured and tested over time?
ISQua Standards Assessment and Accreditation
Organisations in the process of developing a healthcare evaluation program, can apply to ISQua have their standards assessed as a first step.
Through this process, standards are assessed by an international expert panel against ISQua's International Principles for Healthcare Standards. This is an internationally tested framework of requirements i.e. principles and their criteria, which should underpin health care delivery standards.
Through ISQua's International Accreditation Program, successful standards assessment results in ISQua Accreditation and demonstrates to an organisation's clients, funders and other stakeholders that its standards meet international requirements for best practice.
This process is available to assess the many different kinds of healthcare standards used by a wide range of external evaluation programs.
To date, several sets of healthcare standards used in Australia, Canada, Egypt, England and Wales, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, South Africa, Taiwan R.O.C., also the standards of Joint Commission International, USA, have already been successfully accredited by ISQua. Several other sets of standards are in the process of assessment. Specialised sets of standards are also being assessed for Accreditation. For example the standards of the accreditation programme of the National Autism Society in the UK, have been accredited.
ISQua's international accreditation process for standards is based on a four-year cycle. In some countries, there are requirements that the standards being used by healthcare accrediting or external evaluating bodies must have continuous accreditation. The four year cycle is designed in such a way for this to happen.
ISQua's programs are governed and reviewed using a well-tested set of policies and processes.
Processes are all structured as developmental steps to support organisations to first internally assess the strengths and limitations of their standards and/or systems. When applications are received for ISQua services, the first step is to send a self-assessment tool for the applicant organisation to complete and submit with supporting documents.
ISQua Accredited Surveyor/Assessor Training
ISQua now has Surveyor/Assessor Training Program Standards, see SurvAssTrainProgStand.pdf and PROGRAM INFORMATION and FEES
The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency in Australia has been congratulated as the first organization to have its Assessor Training Program accredited by ISQua.
ISQua - Accrediting the Accreditors and other External Evaluation Organizations in Health Care
ISQua's International Accreditation Program is available to:
- survey heathcare accreditation and other external evaluation organizations using international standards for performance excellence
- assist countries to develop healthcare accreditation programs
Why become ISQua Accredited?
- It provides confidence and credibility through formal worldwide recognition that an organization meets agreed international standards specifically developed and tested for healthcare external evaluation bodies
- It involves an impartial and independent review system
- It provides reassurance to governments, funders, clients and the organization itself that its performance, standards, training or education programs meet the highest international standards and are continuously improved.
Successful international accreditation of a healthcare external evaluation body confirms it as a quality organisation.
ISQua's programs are governed and reviewed using a well-tested set of policies and processes.
Processes are all structured as developmental steps to support organisations to first internally assess the strengths and limitations of their standards and/or systems.
To apply for ISQua Survey, go to PROGRAM INFORMATION and FEES
For survey, a team of peer surveyors is appointed from outside the country. After preliminary checks, arrangements are made for the survey visit, interviews, report process and follow-up action. The organization pays for costs of the survey visit.
- Use this link to download a free of charge copy of ISQua's International Accreditation Standards for Healthcare External Evaluation Organisations: Version 3, December 2007 - go to ISQuaIAPOrgStandardsV3.pdf
ISQua Accreditation is recognised by governments:
Accreditation through ISQua is a requirement specified in legislation or through specific statutes in at least two countries with the Australian and New Zealand Governments now requiring that certain healthcare facilities must be accredited by national bodies which themselves have been internationally assessed and accredited by ISQua.
ISQua Accredited Organizations:
Each of the listed accreditation organizations are currently ISQua Accredited having had their performance surveyed
by an international
team of ISQua-appointed surveyors:
- The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards
- Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation
- Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited
- Irish Health Services Accreditation Board now HIQA
- Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa
- Taiwan Joint Commission on Healthcare Accreditation
- Quality Improvement Council, Australia
- CHKS Healthcare Accreditation Quality Unit, UK
- Joint Commission International, USA
In some countries, there are requirements that the performance of healthcare accrediting or external evaluating bodies must demonstrate continuous accreditation. The four year ISQua Accreditation cycle is designed in such a way for this to happen.
ISQua's package of programs - START SIMPLY!
The structure of the services available from ISQua's Accreditation Program has been designed to provide a staged approach:
A. Assessment of organization's own standards:
Standards Assessment Tool (SAT) plus ISQua Assessment for Accreditation
B: Survey and preparation:
Accreditation Standards Survey Assessment Tool plus Survey. Standards should always be assessed and accredited prior to survey of an organization.
C: ISQua also now has systems in place to accredit the training provided to surveyors or assessors
Surveyor/Assessor Training Standards Assessment Tool plus ISQua Assessment for Training Accreditation
PROGRAM INFORMATION and FEES
For details on the latest fees and program packages go to:
Access to services is available to any organization. Membership of ISQua is not a requirement for participation in the ISQua International Accreditation Program, but only those organizations with institutional membership of ISQua will be eligible to apply for membership of the Accreditation Federation and nominate for, and be elected to, the Accreditation Council.
HELP is Here!
For more information about the ISQua International Accreditation Program, contact ISQua
DIRECTION: The Accreditation Federation Council
The following ISQua member organisations are represented on the Accreditation Federation Council which oversees the processes of ISQua's International Accreditation Program (IIAP). This Council reports to ISQua's Executive Board.
Until October 2008:
Until October 2010:
Chairperson of Council 2006 - 2008: Mr Brian Johnston ACHS
Deputy Chairpersons 2006 - 2008:
1. Ms Helen Crisp CHKS-HAQU
2. Ms Roisin Boland HIQA
To ensure international and independent overview, ex-officio members of the Council include representatives from the the World Health Organization, the International Hospital Federation, World Bank and WONCA, the world organization for family practice. Contact ISQua for more details on how accreditation and other external evaluation organizations can be part of the Accreditation Federation and also eligible to nominate a representative to the Accreditation Council.
In October 2006 and 2007 , ISQua's London 2006 and Boston 2007 Accreditation Symposia and also Accreditation Tracks in the ISQua Main Conference Program, generated enthusiastic feedback. Go to ISQua's Conference pages to check some of the slide presentations from these Symposia and main program Accreditation Tracks.
Recommended Reading
ISQua has published a "TOOLKIT for ACCREDITATION" to provide more details about the design and redesign of health care external evaluation systems.
With the support of the World Bank and also the involvement of the World Health Organization, this excellent ISQua resource is available free of charge and can be downloaded from this link - go to: ISQuaAccreditationToolkit
CHECK PROGESS with a CHECKLIST
Crosslinked to the relevant sections of the TOOLKIT and also to ISQua's Standards, this Checklist has been prepared to guide the flow of work and priorities for attention and action - go to: Toolkit Checklist.pdf
NEW! ISQua Accreditation Research Website
ISQua, in partnership with the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, has now launched the ISQua Accreditation Research website. It is designed to provide you with access to a growing database of research projects in accreditation being implemented across the world.
The research projects range across all topics relevant to accreditation work, for example, the impact of accreditation on the quality of health care, the tools used in hospital evaluations, performance measures, and more. Projects are easily searchable based on multiple criteria, and can also be browsed for your convenience. Each project contains useful information including the project abstract, the results of concluded projects, and contact information.
The goal is that the site will improve and increase collaboration in accreditation research through the sharing of project data, providing quick and easy access to material on current projects, and improving the quality of accreditation worldwide. We invite your feedback on the site and its usefulness to your work. Contact ISQua
GO TO: http://www.isquaresearch.com/ |
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