Health service accreditation stimulating change in clinical care and human resource management processes: A study of 311 Australian hospitals.

Objective: This study aimed to establish whether longitudinal participation in an accreditation program is translated into improvement in continuity of quality patient care and human resource management (HRM) processes outcomes.
Materials and Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of accreditation panel data from acute hospitals participating in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards' Evaluation and Quality Improvement Program (EQuIP). EQuIP criteria data from 311 hospitals were collected by external surveyors across 2003-2006 (Time 1) and 2007-2010 (Time 2). Mandatory accreditation criteria ratings at Time 1 were used to determine hospital performance group membership (1 = below moderate, 2 = moderate, 3 = above moderate). Analysis was undertaken of ratings across continuity of quality patient care and HRM process criteria, at Time 1 and 2.
Results: Continuity of quality patient care and HRM processes improved across time in the three performance groups. Lower performing hospitals improved at a greater rate than moderate and higher performing hospitals. The groupings and performance order did not change over time.
Conclusions: An accreditation program is an external driver that facilitates continual and systemic quality improvement changes to sub-systems with an organisation.
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