To read this content please select one of the options below:

Examining challenges to reliability of health service accreditation during a period of healthcare reform in Australia

David Greenfield (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Deborah Debono (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Anne Hogden (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Reece Hinchcliff (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Virginia Mumford (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Marjorie Pawsey (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Johanna Westbrook (Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
Jeffrey Braithwaite (Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)

Journal of Health Organization and Management

ISSN: 1477-7266

Article publication date: 16 November 2015

1226

Abstract

Purpose

Health systems are changing at variable rates. Periods of significant change can create new challenges or amplify existing barriers to accreditation program credibility and reliability. The purpose of this paper is to examine, during the transition to a new Australian accreditation scheme and standards, challenges to health service accreditation survey reliability, the salience of the issues and strategies to manage threats to survey reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

Across 2013-2014, a two-phase, multi-method study was conducted, involving five research activities (two questionnaire surveys and three group discussions). This paper reports data from the transcribed group discussions involving 100 participants, which was subject to content and thematic analysis. Participants were accreditation survey coordinators employed by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

Findings

Six significant issues influencing survey reliability were reported: accreditation program governance and philosophy; accrediting agency management of the accreditation process, including the program’s framework; survey coordinators; survey team dynamics; individual surveyors; and healthcare organizations’ approach to accreditation. A change in governance arrangements promoted reliability with an independent authority and a new set of standards, endorsed by Federal and State governments. However, potential reliability threats were introduced by having multiple accrediting agencies approved to survey against the new national standards. Challenges that existed prior to the reformed system remain.

Originality/value

Capturing lessons and challenges from healthcare reforms is necessary if improvements are to be realized. The study provides practical and theoretical strategies to promote reliability in accreditation programs.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was supported under Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (Project No. LP100200586). The authors thank ACHS staff and survey coordinators for their contribution to the study. The authors are grateful to colleagues for insightful discussions on standards and accreditation over the years including Charles Shaw, Rosa Suñol, Cathy Pope, John Øvretveit, Mark Brandon, Stephen Clarke and Brian Johnston.

Citation

Greenfield, D., Debono, D., Hogden, A., Hinchcliff, R., Mumford, V., Pawsey, M., Westbrook, J. and Braithwaite, J. (2015), "Examining challenges to reliability of health service accreditation during a period of healthcare reform in Australia", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 912-924. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-02-2015-0034

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles