Introduction
Health regulatory bodies are agencies in charge of controlling the practice and training of health professionals and accreditation of the places, organizations, and institutions where they practice their professions. Accreditation bodies are agencies in charge of ensuring that students are awarded programs that meet the required standards of the profession they want to enter. If an organization is accredited excellently, it means and proves that it provides high-quality care at the highest standards and professionalism. This is a way of strengthening an organization in terms of reputation and good public relations (Christine, 2021).
The healthcare Facilities accreditation program
The healthcare facilities accreditation program (HFAP) is a non-profit organization that is nationally recognized which helps health care institutions and organizations to comply with health regulations and maintain high standards in patient care and other rules and bars in the health environment (AHC Media, 2018).
History of Health Care Facilities Accreditation Program
The HFAP started accreditation in 1945, and it is the oldest hospitals accreditation body in the USA. It was formed to conduct impartial reviews of services offered by hospitals under the American Osteopathic organization and ensure their osteopathic residents received high-standard training (Christine, 2021). It is an accreditation facility under the medicare insurance, which works according to the authorizing social security act, where it accredits all acute hospitals in the country. Also, it has given the mandate to survey clinical laboratory which falls under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
Reason for existence
Its main reason is to offer a high-quality educationally centered assessment that works as a roadmap for organizational improvement.
HFAP Public Reporting of Quality Indicators
Frequency
Health organization that wishes accreditation by HFAP must start and finish an onsite survey as part of the initial application. HFAP conducts unannounced accreditation and evaluation every once in three years (AHC Media, 2018).
Where are they reported
The accreditation and evaluation results are found on the HFAP website. Still, such results can be taken from the HFAP headquarter for those who are found with discrepancies (Christine, 2021). From this, HFAP and the inspected company go through the account of found differences to develop an action plan for which the company shall incorporate changes and recommended ‘plan of correction.’
Importance of public merit from HFAP
HFAP stimulates continuous improvement and enables health organizations commit to quality care. Its programs are designed in a way that identifies each role of every individual that is involved in the health care. By doing so, they avert health hazards that may affect the public and return raise their confidence in the services being offered by accredited organizations by HFAP.
Operations of HFAP
Current function
The primary function of HFAP is to provide a unanimous, highly quality, educationally focused survey of health organizations (Kato, 2020).
Also, it provides a certification program for the continuum of joint arthroplasty and lithotripsy, wound care, and stroke care
Organization structure
It is a voluntary accreditation program under Medicaid whose mission is to assist healthcare organizations in achieving and continuing with practices of the highest standards of inpatient care.
Governance
The center of Medicaid services authorizes the accreditation program in HFAP. HFAP as a body works under the accreditation association of hospitals and the health system. In 2020, the HFAP changed ownership to the accreditation association of hospitals and the health system from The American Osteopathic Association. The change of ownership ensures that HFAP retains its deeming authority from the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services.
HFAP impact on quality
Health care organization
As an accrediting body, HFAP helps health care organizations to deliver high standards and quality patient care by maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics. This is done through monitoring health practitioners and institutions (Kato, 2020). Besides accrediting, HFAP provides accredited organizations with correction plans when they have discrepancies, thus ensuring continuous improvement in the long run. Overall, it promotes it ensures healthcare organizations maintain quality care by promoting safety and ensuring they comply with legal requirements and quality service.
Nursing practice
Accrediting bodies like HFAP ensure nurses know of what they are expected of them in their jurisdiction and understand their responsibilities. Also, HFAP helps and support nurses embrace safe nursing practices and regulating their licenses. Besides, it ensures health care organizations are using continuous education for their nursing staff.
Patient Care
The sole purpose of accrediting and regulating is to protect the public by ensuring each health organization promotes and practices quality of care Through ensuring safe standards for nursing, which promotes high quality care for patients. Patient care is the sole reason and to ensure this, HFAP creates programs mandated by CMS that focuses on patient safety such as programs on infection control processes (Kato, 2020).
Conclusion
Accreditation bodies and regulatory agencies focuses on the need to protect the public over the advancement of health care. It uses its power to remove risk and hazards that may be as a result of health, and by this protecting and safeguarding the community we live in. Also, quality care is an important part of these bodies focuses on, this is because of its evolving nature which requires constant and continuing screening to ensure its up to standard with the required health guidelines. By doing so, HFAP raises the community confidence in the services being offered by accredited health organizations.
References
AHC Media. (2018). HFAP Offers Tips on Top Survey Deficiencies. Hospital Peer Review,
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Christine. A. (2021). Hospital Accreditation: A Primer. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 21(3), 289-299.
Kato, M. (2020). Comparing Hospital Outcomes and Profiles by Accrediting Agency: A Cross Sectional Study. Central Michigan University.