Accreditation, regulation, and certification are concerned with ensuring the provision of safe and quality healthcare. While the terms have differing definitions, they all are concerned with checking against unprofessional healthcare practices. This paper compares and contrasts the concepts of accreditation, regulation, and certification. Additionally, the paper provides examples of how the concepts are applied in a healthcare workplace. The paper describes sample accrediting bodies for different levels of care; rehabs, hospitals, and home care. In addition to the concepts of accreditation, regulation, and certification, the paper also describes the differences between the Standard of Care and the Standard of Practice and compliance issues that may arise from the standards.
Standard of Care and Standard of Practice
Standard of care refers to medication that healthcare professionals widely regard as suitable for a given malady, hence widely used in the profession (Reamer, 2018). Standard of practice refers to guidelines that inform on techniques and procedures to be used and the order in which they are used in healthcare provision. While the standard of care refers to the type of medication offered, the standard of practice refers to the procedures and techniques employed in issuing the given type of medication for its related healthcare issue.
Standards of care and practice result in compliance issues for healthcare professionals. Professionals are expected to behave in manners that conform to the specified standards. Compliance issues that may arise from standards of practice include clinical practice protocols, standard operating procedures, clinical education and training, patient privacy and confidentiality, clinical procedures, and billing practices (Reamer, 2018). Compliance issues that may arise due to standards of care include due diligence, patient care, diagnosis procedure and interpretation, and medication options.
Accreditation, Regulation, and Certification
Accreditation refers to the process where organizations are officially reviewed and allowed to demonstrate their adherence to set regulations and standards. In the healthcare industry, accreditation may be carried out when the performance of a given healthcare institution is assessed concerning established practice standards. Accredited organizations meet the set regulations and standards, hence licensed to provide specific (healthcare) services (Mosadeghrad, 2021). Accreditation improves the overall quality of healthcare provision and brings a sense of accountability to healthcare providers. Accreditation processes uncover high-risk areas that can be improved to increase adherence to established performance standards.
Regulation refers to the process by which certain authority bodies delineate terms of practice to ensure healthcare services are provided in a manner that assures public safety and welfare by licensed and competent professionals. In the healthcare industry, regulation ensures qualified healthcare professionals provide service to the public in a manner that upholds public interest and wellbeing (Chappell et al., 2021). Regulation addresses issues such as required training and education of healthcare professionals, licensing of healthcare professionals, and formulation of standards of care and practice.
Certification refers to the process where professionals and institutions are issued with documents by professional and authority bodies to attest to their competence and legitimacy to perform specific jobs (Chappell et al., 2021). In the healthcare industry, certification is issued after healthcare professionals and institutions are assessed and determined to offer safe and quality service to the public (Mosadeghrad, 2021). Healthcare professionals are certified after training and education programs and demonstrating the ability to perform the jobs being certified. Certifications increase patient confidence that the certified institutions and professionals are qualified to administer professional care.
Accreditation, regulation and certification are all concerned with providing safe and quality care to the public. Authority bodies are tasked with formulating regulatory measures for healthcare practice. Regulation ensures that healthcare professionals and institutions conduct themselves in ways that protect public welfare. Accreditation is conducted based on regulatory practices. Organizations and accredited professionals adhere to established regulatory guidelines (Chappell et al., 2021). Successful accreditation of healthcare institutions results in certification by regulatory bodies. Professional bodies accredit healthcare professionals once they complete training.
Accrediting bodies exist for different levels of care, such as rehabilitation, home care, and hospitals. A sample accrediting body for hospitals is The Joint Commission. The commission headquarters is in Illinois and provides hospital accreditation globally (Mosadeghrad, 2021). An example accrediting body for rehabilitation centers is the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. The Commission provides surveyors and accreditation standards for global rehabilitative institutions. An example accrediting body for home care is the Community Health Accreditation Program. The body provides organization information, surveyors, and consultative services for home care.
In conclusion, the standard of care and practice guides healthcare practice through establishing regulations for conducting healthcare practice and issuing medications. Accreditation, regulation, and certification facilitate the provision of quality and safe care to the public. Authority bodies formulate regulations that are used for accreditation and certification. Accrediting bodies include the Joint Commission, Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and Community Health Accreditation Program. The processes of regulation, accreditation, and certification are vital in providing quality healthcare by qualified and licensed professionals.
References
Chappell, K. B., Howard, M. S., Lundmark, V., & Ivory, C., (2021). Credentialing and Certification: Overview, Science, and Impact on Policy, Regulation, and Practice. International Nursing Review 68 (4), 551-556.
Mosadeghrad, A. M., (2021). Hospital Accreditation: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. International Journal of Healthcare Management 14 (4), 1597-1601.
Reamer, F. G., (2018). Evolving Standards of Care in the Age of Cybertechnology. Behavioral Sciences & the Law 36 (2), 257-269.
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