BHA FPX 4006 Assessment 4 Voluntary Accreditation BHA-FPX4006 Health Care Regulation and Compliance ​​​​​​​Overview of Accreditation in Health Care

BHA FPX 4006 Assessment 4 Voluntary Accreditation

BHA-FPX4006 Health Care Regulation and Compliance

Overview of Accreditation in Health Care

Accreditation in healthcare refers to the process of evaluating and certifying the quality and safety of healthcare organizations and programs (Mate, Rooney, Supachutikul, & Gyani, 2014). Accreditation is typically granted by third-party organizations like The Joint Commission or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), which have established standards for healthcare organizations to meet (Mate et al., 2014). While accreditation can be voluntary or mandatory depending on the organization and service provided, it plays a crucial role in ensuring high-quality care, improving patient outcomes, and increasing patient satisfaction (Mate et al., 2014).

Accreditation Requirements

In response to market dynamics and increasing patient expectations, both national and global accreditation agencies have emerged to ensure quality control and enhance patients’ access to improved medical care (Flodgren, Gonçalves-Bradley, & Pomey, 2016). Accreditation criteria typically cover various aspects such as organizational purpose, treatment quality, patient safety regulations, financial stability, and compliance with laws and regulations (Flodgren et al., 2016). Healthcare institutions undergo on-site evaluations by accrediting agencies to demonstrate compliance with these criteria (Flodgren et al., 2016).

Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance: Compare and Contrast

Accreditation and regulation are two distinct methods of ensuring performance or quality standards. While accreditation involves third-party evaluation against established standards, regulation entails setting and enforcing standards within a sector (Nicklin, Engel, & Stewart, 2021). Accreditation is often voluntary, focusing on access, cost, efficacy, and evidence-based treatments, while regulation is typically mandatory, aiming to standardize healthcare delivery and ensure quality care (Nicklin et al., 2021).