How to choose a safe hospital that provides quality care

We, as patients, often face problems due to unsafe care, poor service standards and lack of accountability in some hospitals. We also do not know how to choose a hospital. To address these issues, independent accrediting agencies such as NABH, NABL, QCI, and QAI set standards for care, infrastructure, quality, and a large number of important parameters. Hospitals and diagnostic labs are accredited based on compliance with these standards.

The NABH Accreditation and Certification Framework ensures quality and safety by addressing 10 domains, 5 of which are patient-centric and 5 are hospital-centric.

Patient-centric domains:

• Access Assessment and Continuity AAC
• Care Of Patients COP
• Management Of Medicines MOM
• Patient Rights and Education PRE
• Hospital Infection Control HIC

Organisation-centric domains:

• Patient Safety and Quality Improvements PSQ
• Responsibilities Of Management ROM
• Facility Management And Safety FMA
• Human Resource Management HRM
• Information Management System IMS
  • Each chapter has an Intent and broadly defined standards for relevant processes under each head. of what an organisation needs to do, have or maintain, to implement safe and quality medical care.
  • Clear objective elements are listed under each standard, which can be measured to ensure standardised care that is safe and high quality, both for processes and people. In addition to medical care, the scope of certification covers facilities, management, patient rights, and legal and financial governance.
  • The processes are documented, and harmful events are captured, analysed and recalibrated for continuous improvement
  • Levels of quality and KPIS ensure a certain standard is maintained and aspired to, thus building a safety and quality culture.

An accredited hospital provides several benefits to Patients:

• Quality assurance: By adhering to strict quality standards, ensuring reliable and consistent care. It also ensures uniform policies and procedures.
• Patient safety: Accreditation emphasises safety protocols, reducing the risk of medical errors, infections, and adverse events.
• Encourages patient-centred care by involving patients in decision-making and focusing on their preferences and needs.
• Provides specialised care, experts, and technology: Accredited hospitals offer specialised services and facilities, attract skilled doctors and medical staff, and provide modern equipment and technology.
• Ensures Patient Rights and Information Access: Hospitals have to maintain confidentiality of medical records, test results and display the hospital's accreditation status and performance rate.
• Aims for Continuous Improvement: Regular review of standards and audits creates a culture of continuous improvement.
• Access to insurance coverage: Accredited hospitals are more likely to be recognised by insurance providers.

How to know if a facility is accredited:

Accrediting agencies issue a certificate of accreditation giving the name and location of the hospital and the validity of the accreditation. These are prominently displayed at various places in the hospital. You could ask the receptionist/doctor to show you the accreditation proof as well. Do check if it is for the same location and the certificate is valid. Even if it is a chain of hospitals, the facility is independently assessed and accredited.

Accreditation is a positive endorsement. However, it does not always guarantee safe outcomes. You still need to be Alert, be Aware, ask questions, and make Informed choices.