Authors (including presenting author) :
LOU WO(1), TONG CM(1), SO YC(1), Victor IP(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Quality & Safety Office, Kowloon East Cluster
Keyword 1: :
Hospital accreditation
Keyword 2: :
Quality & safety
Keyword 4: :
United Christian Hospital
Introduction :
Hospital accreditation is globally recognized pivotal mechanism for enhancing the quality and safety of patient care through external evaluation. Aligned with international practices, United Christian Hospital adopted the China’s International Hospital Accreditation (CIHA) Standards and achieved accreditation. The accreditation involves extensive preparatory and leverages prospects for service improvement. Understanding staff perspectives on this journey, and its impact on fostering a culture of quality and safety, is essential for sustaining and enhancing the hospital's commitment to excellence.
Objectives :
(1)To evaluate the contributions of preparatory activities to the success of the on-site survey; & (2)To assess the impact of the accreditation process on fostering a culture of quality and safety within the hospital.
Methodology :
The study employed a purpose-designed questionnaire to gather staff feedback. A 4-point Likert scale was used for quantitative evaluation. Additionally, open-ended questions were included to collect qualitative insights.
Result & Outcome :
A total of 152 responses were received, comprising 70% clinical staff and 30% non-clinical staff. The majority of respondents were nursing staff at 43%, followed by allied health professionals at 16%, clerical personnel at 13%, medical staff at 11% and others. The findings revealed that 99% of respondents highly valued feedback from in-house preparatory rounds for guiding adjustments to align with accreditation standards, while 98% agreed that information shared through staff forums and newsletters was useful for preparing the on-site survey. Beyond internal resources, over 97% recognized the value of consultancy surveys in enhancing the understanding of practical applications, identifying gaps and providing relevant and insightful comments aligned with accreditation standards. Moreover, over 97% of respondents acknowledged the survey team’s comments, which highlighted strengths in the hospital's quality and safety practices, while also identifying areas for improvement. Furthermore, the team provided valuable insights and practical recommendations to develop measures for enhancing quality and safety in the hospital. Additionally, staff overwhelmingly valued the accreditation process, with 98% of respondents agreed that the accreditation process reinforced the momentum for improvement and fostered a culture of quality and safety in the hospital. This study concludes that hospital accreditation plays a vital role in enhancing quality and safety by systematically identifying and addressing gaps, reinforcing hospital-wide momentum, and fostering a culture that drives continuous improvement in the hospital.
