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Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology 2012This review attempts to clarify the concepts of Laboratory Quality Management System (Lab QMS) for a medical testing and diagnostic laboratory in a holistic way and... (Review)
Review
This review attempts to clarify the concepts of Laboratory Quality Management System (Lab QMS) for a medical testing and diagnostic laboratory in a holistic way and hopes to expand the horizon beyond quality control (QC) and quality assurance. It provides an insight on accreditation bodies and highlights a glimpse of existing laboratory practices but essentially it takes the reader through the journey of accreditation and during the course of reading and understanding this document, prepares the laboratory for the same. Some of the areas which have not been highlighted previously include: requirement for accreditation consultants, laboratory infrastructure and scope, applying for accreditation, document preparation. This section is well supported with practical illustrations and necessary tables and exhaustive details like preparation of a standard operating procedure and a quality manual. Concept of training and privileging of staff has been clarified and a few of the QC exercises have been dealt with in a novel way. Finally, a practical advice for facing an actual third party assessment and caution needed to prevent post-assessment pitfalls has been dealt with.
Topics: Accreditation; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Humans; Laboratories; Quality Assurance, Health Care
PubMed: 22664426
DOI: 10.4103/0255-0857.96647 -
Human Resources For Health Jan 2022The Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (PPS) implemented a system of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists in 2004. This system has evolved throughout... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (PPS) implemented a system of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists in 2004. This system has evolved throughout the years, and currently all active pharmacists in Portugal are required to participate in the CPD program. Each CPD cycle takes 5 years. In each cycle, pharmacists must collect 15 CPD points, through participation in educational activities. The PPS accreditation process is managed via an online platform, where education/training providers, as well as pharmacists themselves, can submit educational activities for accreditation. Pharmacists may access their CPD status and assess their development at any point. The objective of this study was to analyze and review the educational activities submitted by providers over a 11-year period (2009-2019).
METHODS
Data from activities were retrieved from the PPS CPD online platform. All educational activities were labeled according to the area of pharmaceutical professional focus, type of promoter, and activity type.
RESULTS
During the study 3685 activities were analyzed. Over the last decade, submitted activities for accreditation increased in 52.6%. A significantly high proportion (98.9%) of these activities has been accredited. Promoters of activities were mostly pharmacies sectoral associations (29.6%), consultancy/training companies (19.6%), the PPS (18.5%), pharmaceutical industry (17.7%) and wholesalers' consortia (9.0%). Academia represented only 2.3% of the total amount of educational activities. The most frequent topics were related to "pharmacology & pharmacotherapy" (9.9%), followed by "counselling" (9.8%) and "management & administration" (7.2%). The most accredited type of activities was face-to-face (68.9%) and e-learning trainings (13.1%).
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows increasing interest in submitting CPD activities for accreditation between 2009 and 2019, but it also demonstrates that Academia could play a more interventive role in the lifelong learning education of Portuguese pharmacists.
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Pharmacy, Continuing; Humans; Pharmacies; Pharmacists; Pharmacy
PubMed: 34991616
DOI: 10.1186/s12960-021-00700-1 -
Clinical Medicine (London, England) Dec 2013Accreditation is one method of assuring quality. Accreditation requires the setting of standards and the creation of a robust and reliable process for assessing them.... (Review)
Review
Accreditation is one method of assuring quality. Accreditation requires the setting of standards and the creation of a robust and reliable process for assessing them. Accreditation offers different advantages to different groups, eg quality assurance to commissioners and the boards of provider organisations, confidence and choice for patients, and a quality improvement pathway for services to follow. This paper is focused on service accreditation and it proposes that service accreditation be professionally led.
Topics: Accreditation; Hospitals; Humans; Program Development; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Quality Improvement
PubMed: 24298095
DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.13-6-538 -
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology Mar 2019This article presents a high-level overview of accreditation and assessment in higher education and is designed to provide nuclear medicine technology educators with a... (Review)
Review
This article presents a high-level overview of accreditation and assessment in higher education and is designed to provide nuclear medicine technology educators with a foundational knowledge of this topic. This foundation will help educators understand accreditation and assessment at the college or university level and the program level by discussing key terminology and exploring the concept of a culture of assessment.
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical; Nuclear Medicine
PubMed: 30413595
DOI: 10.2967/jnmt.118.219113 -
Journal of Educational Evaluation For... 2020The accreditation process is both an opportunity and a burden for medical schools in Korea. The line that separates the two is based on how medical schools recognize and... (Review)
Review
The accreditation process is both an opportunity and a burden for medical schools in Korea. The line that separates the two is based on how medical schools recognize and utilize the accreditation process. In other words, accreditation is a burden for medical schools if they view the accreditation process as merely a formal procedure or a means to maintain accreditation status for medical education. However, if medical schools acknowledge the positive value of the accreditation process, accreditation can be both an opportunity and a tool for developing medical education. The accreditation process has educational value by catalyzing improvements in the quality, equity, and efficiency of medical education and by increasing the available options. For the accreditation process to contribute to medical education development, accrediting agencies and medical schools must first be recognized as partners of an educational alliance working together towards common goals. Secondly, clear guidelines on accreditation standards should be periodically reviewed and shared. Finally, a formative self-evaluation process must be introduced for institutions to utilize the accreditation process as an opportunity to develop medical education. This evaluation system could be developed through collaboration among medical schools, academic societies for medical education, and the accrediting authority.
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical; Humans; Republic of Korea; Schools, Medical
PubMed: 33085998
DOI: 10.3352/jeehp.2020.17.31 -
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Nov 2020Palliative medicine (PM) has gained subspecialty recognition in many countries during the past two decades. Jordan is one of the first Arab countries to gain... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Palliative medicine (PM) has gained subspecialty recognition in many countries during the past two decades. Jordan is one of the first Arab countries to gain accreditation for the specialty.
OBJECTIVES
To outline the process undertaken by leaders in palliative care in Jordan to have PM recognized as a subspecialty and the development of a two-year fellowship training program. To contextualize the Jordanian experience with the experience from other countries and assess the need for PM specialty programs in Jordan.
METHODS
A thorough review of all documentations, letters, correspondence, and proposals exchanged between the palliative care department at King Hussein Cancer Center and the Jordanian Medical Council from 2011 to 2017. An assessment of the number of certified physicians and fellowship posts required to meet the current palliative care needs in Jordan, using population-based need for palliative care.
RESULTS
The process of gaining subspecialty status for PM in Jordan was complex, lengthy, and dependent on the collaboration of many officials and health sector organizations working together on a national strategy to achieve it. Ultimately, PM was recognized as a subspecialty in 2017, a two-year fellowship program was accredited by the Jordanian Medical Council in 2018, with a recognized subspecialty board examination, which can be accessed by many medical and surgical specialties. It is estimated that 185-235 full-time equivalent palliative care specialist physicians are needed to meet the demand of patients in Jordan.
CONCLUSION
Key factors enabling accreditation to happen in Jordan were strong leadership, persistence, collaboration with major stakeholders, and seeking out opportunities to promote the specialty. Our experience and lessons learnt are transferable to other countries and may prove beneficial to others aiming to gain subspecialty recognition for PM.
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical, Graduate; Fellowships and Scholarships; Humans; Jordan; Palliative Medicine
PubMed: 32442479
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.05.016 -
BMC Medical Education Sep 2020The accreditation of medical educational programs is thought to be important in supporting program improvement, ensuring the quality of the education, and promoting... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The accreditation of medical educational programs is thought to be important in supporting program improvement, ensuring the quality of the education, and promoting diversity, equity, and population health. It has long been recognized that accreditation systems will need to shift their focus from processes to outcomes, particularly those related to the end goals of medical education: the creation of broadly competent, confident professionals and the improvement of health for individuals and populations. An international group of experts in accreditation convened in 2013 to discuss this shift.
MAIN TEXT
Participants unequivocally supported the inclusion of more outcomes-based criteria in medical education accreditation, specifically those related to the societal accountability of the institutions in which the education occurs. Meaningful and feasible outcome metrics, however, are hard to identify. They are regionally variable, often temporally remote from the educational program, difficult to measure, and susceptible to confounding factors. The group identified the importance of health outcomes of the clinical milieu in which education takes place in influencing outcomes of its graduates. The ability to link clinical data with individual practice over time is becoming feasible with large repositories of assessment data linked to patient outcomes. This was seen as a key opportunity to provide more continuous oversight and monitoring of program impact. The discussants identified several risks that might arise should outcomes measures completely replace process issues. Some outcomes can be measured only by proxy process elements, and some learner experience issues may best be measured by such process elements: in brief, the "how" still matters.
CONCLUSIONS
Accrediting bodies are beginning to view the use of practice outcome measures as an important step toward better continuous educational quality improvement. The use of outcomes will present challenges in data collection, aggregation, and interpretation. Large datasets that capture clinical outcomes, experience of care, and health system performance may enable the assessment of multiple dimensions of program quality, assure the public that the social contract is being upheld, and allow identification of exemplary programs such that all may improve. There remains a need to retain some focus on process, particularly those related to the learner experience.
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical; Humans; Quality Improvement; Social Responsibility
PubMed: 32981523
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-020-02123-3 -
Annals of Laboratory Medicine Sep 2017The College of American Pathologists (CAP) offers a suite of laboratory accreditation programs, including one specific to accreditation to the international organization... (Review)
Review
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) offers a suite of laboratory accreditation programs, including one specific to accreditation to the international organization for standardization (ISO) 15189 standard for quality management specific to medical laboratories. CAP leaders offer an overview of ISO 15189 including its components, internal audits, occurrence management, document control, and risk management. The authors provide a comparison of its own ISO 15189 program, CAP 15189, to the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program. The authors conclude with why laboratories should use ISO 15189.
Topics: Accreditation; Laboratories, Hospital; Quality Control; Reference Standards; Risk Management
PubMed: 28643484
DOI: 10.3343/alm.2017.37.5.365 -
The American Journal of Managed Care Oct 2000This paper reviews the various organizations in the United States that perform accreditation and establish standards for healthcare delivery. These agencies include the... (Review)
Review
This paper reviews the various organizations in the United States that perform accreditation and establish standards for healthcare delivery. These agencies include the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the American Medical Accreditation Program (AMAP), the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission/Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (AAHC/URAC), and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory HealthCare (AAAHC). In addition, the Foundation for Accountability (FACCT) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) play important roles in ensuring the quality of healthcare. Each of the accrediting bodies is unique in terms of their mission, activities, compositions of their boards, and organizational histories, and each develops their own accreditation process and programs and sets their own accreditation standards. For this reason, certain accrediting organizations are better suited than others to perform accreditation for a specific area in the healthcare delivery system. The trend toward outcomes research is noted as a clear shift from the structural and process measures historically used by accrediting agencies. Accreditation has been generally viewed as a desirable process to establish standards and work toward achieving higher quality care, but it is not without limitations. Whether accrediting organizations are truly ensuring high quality healthcare across the United States is a question that remains to be answered.
Topics: Accreditation; Ambulatory Care Facilities; American Medical Association; Hospitals; Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; Managed Care Programs; Organizational Objectives; Organizations, Nonprofit; Practice Management, Medical; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Social Responsibility; United States; United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
PubMed: 11184667
DOI: No ID Found -
Arhiv Za Higijenu Rada I Toksikologiju Dec 2020Accreditation in accordance with the international General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard) has... (Review)
Review
Accreditation in accordance with the international General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard) has become a widely accepted method of quality management and objective evidence of technical competence, knowledge, and skills of testing and calibration laboratories. In 2010, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMROH) had its management system accredited against the HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard for the following scopes: determination of radioactivity, testing of ambient air quality, and testing in the scope of ionising radiation protection. This accreditation encompassed three laboratories: Radiation Protection Unit, Environmental Hygiene Unit, and the Radiation Dosimetry and Radiobiology Unit. In accordance with the rules of the Croatian Accreditation Agency, the second re-accreditation is due in 2020. This paper describes and discusses the quality management system at IMROH over the ten years of its implementation. We share our experiences about non-conformities discovered during regular work, internal audits, and external audits performed by the Croatian Accreditation Agency. The accredited management system significantly improved the performance of the accredited units, and the Institute increased its visibility and marketing advantage, consequently improving its market position.
Topics: Accreditation; Biomedical Research; Croatia; Laboratories; Occupational Health
PubMed: 33410772
DOI: 10.2478/aiht-2020-71-3449