Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

: Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

p : language write a 2 pg essay explaining

1 . what is accreditation

2 . Why is it important

3 . What organizations accredit managed care organizations in the U .S

4 . What is involved in the accreditation process (In other words , what do they look at ? Do they make site visits

Managed Care Glossary

HYPERLINK "http /thci .org /other_resources /glossarymc .html managedcare http /thci .org /other_resources /glossarymc .html managedcare

NCQA-

HYPERLINK "http /www .ncqa .org /Communications /Publications /overviewncqa .pdf http /www .ncqa .org /Communications /Publications

/overviewncqa .pdf

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA

HYPERLINK "http /www .ncqa .org " http /www .ncqa .org

Facts about the Joint Commission

HYPERLINK "http /www .jointcommission .org /AboutUs /joint_commission_facts .htm http /www .jointcommission .org /AboutUs /joint_commission_facts .htm

Benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation

HYPERLINK "http /www .jointcommission .org /HTBAC /benefits_accreditation .htm http /www .jointcommission .org /HTBAC /benefits_accreditation .htm

NEW NCQA PROGRAM OFFERS awards TO HEALTH PLANS , grants to DOCTORS OFFICES THAT HELP BRIDGE HEALTH CARE disparities-

HYPERLINK "http /www .ncqa .org /communications /news /clas .htm http /www .ncqa .org /communications /news /clas .htm

URAC - HYPERLINK "http /www .urac .org /consumers http /www .urac .org /consumers /1 . What is accreditation

Accreditation is a process characterized by a neutral organization or an authoritative institution recognizing , evaluating , monitoring and reviewing the businesses or services provided by that of another organization . The organization that provides accreditation makes sure that the services provided or products manufactured meet certain standards , consistently . Once the organization meets the standards , the fact of accreditation can be advertised , and people would know that they are obtaining products or services that meet certain well-known standards of quality

2 . Why is it important

Accreditation in the healthcare industry helps in maintaining the quality standards in this vital sector . Quality control organizations are frequently being referred to as `Watchdogs ' by certain managed care companies . Quality control organizations not only provide accreditation to large companies and organizations but also to small-practice physicians , group practices and others . The information provided by accreditation organizations is often utilized by customers , clients and employers to make informed decisions regarding healthcare choices . The main aim of these quality control organizations is to develop , maintain and slowly improve certain standards of quality in healthcare organizations . This information is further generated to customers and employers who are to make further decisions about healthcare . Usually the accreditation organizations are constituted by employers physicians , policy makers , ethicists , nurses , administrators , labor representatives , advocates , educators , and even customers . They cooperate and work towards improving healthcare , making programs and making sure that the needs of a diverse community (culturally and linguistically ) are being met . Several aspects such as finance , ethics and quality of the healthcare services are usually being monitored Accreditation also provides greater competition in the market , as all the companies would want to improve the quality of their services . In the healthcare industry , error is being considered as a severe detriment to the well-being of the patient , and through accreditation , these errors can be kept...