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Laboratory Animals Apr 2019FELASA accredits courses that fulfil the requirements of Functions A, B, C and D as defined by EU Directive, Article 23, as well as for designated veterinarians and...
THE FOUR EU FUNCTIONS AND BEYOND
FELASA accredits courses that fulfil the requirements of Functions A, B, C and D as defined by EU Directive, Article 23, as well as for designated veterinarians and specialists in laboratory animal science.
MODULARITY AND MOBILITY
Cohesive courses for Functions and for very specific topics are accredited, but flexibility and mobility are possible: a researcher can start his/her training with one FELASA accredited course and complete other modules with another. A course organizer will deliver a FELASA certificate relating to the successfully completed modules.
ACCREDITATION PROCESS
The process consists of two major steps: (1) a review of full course documentation provided by the applicant will lead, if successful, to FELASA accreditation. The course is posted on the FELASA website as 'FELASA accredited' and the course provider can deliver FELASA certificates upon successful completion of the course; (2) successful accreditation is followed by an on-site course audit. In the case of a negative outcome of the audit, FELASA accreditation is withdrawn, the course is deleted from the list of FELASA accredited courses and FELASA certificates cannot be issued. To ensure that quality is maintained, continuation of accreditation requires regular revalidation.
Topics: Accreditation; Animal Welfare; Animals; Europe; European Union; Laboratory Animal Science
PubMed: 30041570
DOI: 10.1177/0023677218788105 -
BMC Health Services Research Jun 2019Hospital accreditation is widely adopted as a visible measure of an organisation's quality and safety management standards compliance. There is still inconsistent...
BACKGROUND
Hospital accreditation is widely adopted as a visible measure of an organisation's quality and safety management standards compliance. There is still inconsistent evidence regarding the influence of hospital accreditation on hospital performance, with limited studies in developing countries. This study aims to explore the association of hospital characteristics and market competition with hospital accreditation status and to investigate whether accreditation status differentiate hospital performance.
METHODS
East Java Province, with a total 346 hospitals was selected for this study. Hospital characteristics (size, specialty, ownership) and performance indicator (bed occupancy rate, turnover interval, average length of stay, gross mortality rate, and net mortality rate) were retrieved from national hospital database while hospital accreditation status were recorded based on hospital accreditation report. Market density, Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI), and hospitals relative size as competition indicators were calculated based on the provincial statistical report data. Logistic regression, Mann-Whitney U-test, and one sample t-test were used to analyse the data.
RESULTS
A total of 217 (62.7%) hospitals were accredited. Hospital size and ownership were significantly associated with of accreditation status. When compared to government-owned, hospital managed by ministry of defense (B = 1.705, p = 0.012) has higher probability to be accredited. Though not statistically significant, accredited hospitals had higher utility and efficiency indicators, as well as higher mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Hospital with higher size and managed by government have higher probability to be accredited independent to its specialty and the intensity of market competition. Higher utility and mortality in accredited hospitals needs further investigation.
Topics: Accreditation; Economic Competition; Health Services Research; Hospitals, Public; Humans; Indonesia; Logistic Models; Personnel Turnover
PubMed: 31185984
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4187-x -
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal =... Apr 2015We assessed the economic impact of Joint Commission International hospital accreditation on 5 structural and outcome hospital performance measures in Jordan. We...
We assessed the economic impact of Joint Commission International hospital accreditation on 5 structural and outcome hospital performance measures in Jordan. We conducted a 4-year retrospective study comparing 2 private accredited acute general hospitals with matched non-accredited hospitals, using difference-in-differences and adjusted covariance analyses to test the impact and value of accreditation on hospital performance measures. Of the 5 selected measures, 3 showed statistically significant effects (all improvements) associated with accreditation: reduction in return to intensive care unit (ICU) within 24 hours of ICU discharge; reduction in staff turnover; and completeness of medical records. The net impact of accreditation was a 1.2 percentage point reduction in patients who returned to the ICU, 12.8% reduction in annual staff turnover and 20.0% improvement in the completeness of medical records. Pooling both hospitals over 3 years, these improvements translated into total savings of US$ 593 000 in Jordan's health-care system.
Topics: Accreditation; Hospitals, Private; Internationality; Jordan; Organizational Case Studies; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 25876820
DOI: 10.26719/2015.21.90 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation plays a significant role in improving the quality of care and patient safety worldwide. Hospital leadership is...
BACKGROUND
Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation plays a significant role in improving the quality of care and patient safety worldwide. Hospital leadership is critical in making international accreditation happen with successful implementation. Little is known about how Chinese hospital leaders experienced and perceived the impact of JCI accreditation. This paper is the first study to explore the perceptions of hospital leaders toward JCI accreditation in China.
METHODS
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to explore the perceptions of the chief operating officers, the chief medical officers, and the chief quality officers in five JCI-accredited hospitals in China. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and identify the main themes.
RESULTS
Fifteen hospital leaders participated in the interviews. Three themes emerged from the analysis, namely the motivations, challenges, and benefits related to pursuing and implementing JCI accreditation. The qualitative study found that eight factors influenced hospital leadership to pursue JCI accreditation, five challenges were identified with implementing JCI standards, and eight benefits emerged from the leadership perspective.
CONCLUSION
Pursuing JCI accreditation is a discretionary decision by the hospital leadership. Participants were motivated by prevalent perceptions that JCI requirements would be used as a management tool to improve the quality of care and patient safety in their hospitals. These same organizational leaders identified challenges associated with implementing and sustaining JCI accreditation. The significant challenges were a clear understanding of the foreign accreditation standards, making staff actively participate in JCI processes, and changing staff behaviors accordingly. The top 5 perceived benefits to JCI accreditation from the leaders' perspective were improved leadership and hospital safety, improvements in the care processes, and the quality of care and the learning culture improved. Other perceived benefits include enhanced reputation, better cost containment, and a sense of pride in the staff in JCI-accredited hospitals.
Topics: Humans; Hospitals; Accreditation; Health Personnel; Internationality; Patient Safety
PubMed: 37965503
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1258600 -
BMJ Open Quality Nov 2021Institutional accreditation in Italy represents the license given by a region to a public or private facility to provide services in the name and on behalf of the...
BACKGROUND
Institutional accreditation in Italy represents the license given by a region to a public or private facility to provide services in the name and on behalf of the National Health Service. This study aims to evaluate the improvement of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Blood System and to highlight its unresolved issues, analysing non-conformities observed during accreditation and maintenance inspections between 2013 and 2018.
METHODS
All the Emilia-Romagna Regional Blood facilities were invited to participate in this study voluntarily and anonymously. Participants had to access a web application that we developed specifically. For each of the three inspections evaluated in this study, they had to enter data about the state of their organisation branches and non-conformities observed by regional inspectors. All data entered were finally exported from the web application database and analysed with spreadsheets. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test with continuity correction.
RESULTS
17 structures took part in the study, with a total of 174 organisation branches. The number of branches changed over the years because of new openings and closures due to reorganisations or non-conformities that were too difficult to correct. Inspectors observed 2381 non-conformities (291 structural, 611 technological and 1479 organisational). As a result of accreditation inspections and consequent improvement actions, non-conformities were reduced by 88%. The most frequent non-conformities concerned the management software and the transportation of blood and blood components.
CONCLUSION
An improvement in the Emilia-Romagna Regional Blood System over time is evident: institutional accreditation certainly pushed it to change and overcome its problems to comply with specific requirements. The remaining non-conformities after the three inspections were mostly organisational and management software was the most critical issue. Despite these non-conformities, all currently active structures are accredited and guarantee high standards of quality and safety of products and services.
Topics: Accreditation; Humans; Italy; Retrospective Studies; State Medicine
PubMed: 34810202
DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001408 -
Postgraduate Medical Journal Jul 1996In the US, accreditation and certification of residency training are functions of separate public sector agencies. Accrediting decisions are made directly by 26... (Review)
Review
In the US, accreditation and certification of residency training are functions of separate public sector agencies. Accrediting decisions are made directly by 26 Residency Review Committees, which represent the primary medical specialties and function under the authority of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The accrediting bodies may consider only educational issues and are prohibited by the government from controlling physician supply. Only the programme, not the institution in which it is conducted, is accredited. The US residency is a structured educational programme that is expected to provide comparable experience to all enrolled residents. Length of training may vary from two to six years depending on the specialty. Additional training may be obtained in subspecialty programmes, which are subsets of the primary specialty residencies and are also reviewed for accreditation. These have increased in significant number in recent years as subspecialisation has proliferated in the US.
Topics: Accreditation; Humans; Internship and Residency; United States
PubMed: 8935597
DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.72.849.391 -
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal =... 2002Although Saudi medical laboratories have developed enormously over the past 25 years, the absence of a national body for medical laboratory accreditation has meant the... (Review)
Review
Although Saudi medical laboratories have developed enormously over the past 25 years, the absence of a national body for medical laboratory accreditation has meant the number of accredited laboratories (seven) remains low. Of these, five are accredited by the College of American Pathologists' Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP)--the 'gold standard' of laboratory accreditation. It requires successful performance in the College of American Pathologists' proficiency testing programme as well as passing on-site inspections carried out by practising laboratory technicians, after which the laboratory is accredited for a 2-year period. This article gives an insight into the current situation of laboratory accreditation in Saudi Arabia and an updated overview of the process involved in obtaining laboratory accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.
Topics: Accreditation; Clinical Competence; Fees and Charges; Humans; Laboratories; Needs Assessment; Pathology, Clinical; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Saudi Arabia; Societies, Medical; United States
PubMed: 15603049
DOI: No ID Found -
BMC Health Services Research Oct 2013Accreditation programs are complex, system-wide quality and safety interventions. Despite their international popularity, evidence of their effectiveness is weak and...
BACKGROUND
Accreditation programs are complex, system-wide quality and safety interventions. Despite their international popularity, evidence of their effectiveness is weak and contradictory. This may be due to variable implementation in different contexts. However, there is limited research that informs implementation strategies. We aimed to advance knowledge in this area by identifying factors that enable effective implementation of accreditation programs across different healthcare settings.
METHODS
We conducted 39 focus groups and eight interviews between 2011 and 2012, involving 258 diverse healthcare stakeholders from every Australian State and Territory. Interviews were semi-structured and focused on the aims, implementation and consequences of three prominent accreditation programs in the aged, primary and acute care sectors. Data were thematically analysed to distil and categorise facilitators of effective implementation.
RESULTS
Four factors were identified as critical enablers of effective implementation: the accreditation program is collaborative, valid and uses relevant standards; accreditation is favourably received by health professionals; healthcare organisations are capable of embracing accreditation; and accreditation is appropriately aligned with other regulatory initiatives and supported by relevant incentives.
CONCLUSIONS
Strategic implementation of accreditation programs should target the four factors emerging from this study, which may increase the likelihood of accreditation being implemented successfully.
Topics: Accreditation; Attitude of Health Personnel; Australia; Emergency Medicine; Focus Groups; Geriatrics; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Primary Health Care; Program Development; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 24156525
DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-437 -
American Journal of Pharmaceutical... Aug 2019To determine student and alumni perceptions of a Canadian-based pharmacy degree accreditation in a Middle Eastern setting and to explore the impact on patient care...
To determine student and alumni perceptions of a Canadian-based pharmacy degree accreditation in a Middle Eastern setting and to explore the impact on patient care practices. Current and former Doctor of Pharmacy students from Qatar University were recruited to participate in the study. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 14 participants (39% of total population). Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded using a bottom-up, grounded theory approach to identify overarching themes related to the study objectives. Data analysis of participants' comments revealed three key themes regarding university accreditation by an international organization: influence on education, influence on patient care, and influence on the individual. Overall, participants responded positively toward international accreditation, as it was perceived to ensure the quality of education by meeting international standards, improve patient care through clinical training, and provide greater individual career opportunities through reputability. Participants responded negatively toward some aspects of accreditation: it was perceived to increase student workload, lacked recognition and did not result in differentiation in job-related duties, and was perceived to be the reason for training gaps related to culture and language within the accredited curriculum. Participants perceived international accreditation positively for its influence on education and patient care; however, some misconceptions and negative perceptions existed regarding its influence on the individual practitioner.
Topics: Accreditation; Canada; Curriculum; Education, Pharmacy; Educational Measurement; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Focus Groups; Humans; Male; Pharmacies; Qatar; Students, Pharmacy; Universities
PubMed: 31507275
DOI: 10.5688/ajpe6805 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Jun 1999The Health Care Financing Administration has introduced new concepts for the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 survey program. Surveyors now look at the... (Review)
Review
The Health Care Financing Administration has introduced new concepts for the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 survey program. Surveyors now look at the laboratory as a whole as opposed to each regulatory requirement independently. This quality assurance approach allows the surveyor to assess the laboratory's ability to provide quality test results as well as identify and correct its own problems. Significant problems in laboratories are more easily identified using this method. Another new concept allows good performing laboratories to go longer between on-site surveys by completing a self-assessment questionnaire on alternate cycles. The Health Care Financing Administration is asking both surveyors and laboratories to evaluate these new approaches. The Health Care Financing Administration continues to work with the Food and Drug Administration through our Memorandum of Understanding to assess Food and Drug Administration requirements in hospitals and laboratories that provide transfusion services. Transfusion-related fatalities must be reported to the Food and Drug Administration and may be investigated by either the Health Care Financing Administration or the Food and Drug Administration. For fatalities needing investigation by both agencies, every effort will be made to conduct these jointly.
Topics: Accreditation; Blood Transfusion; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; Humans; Laboratories; Quality Assurance, Health Care; United States
PubMed: 10383797
DOI: 10.5858/1999-123-0478-HCFACL