Stacy Kambouris General Manager, Education and Innovation and QIP Consulting LinkedIn Profile
Accreditation tips:
- Relax! This is not a pass/fail process.
- Take your time - start preparing early (recommend 8 months from due date to start regularly working on accreditation preparation)
- Use a team-based approach and share the workload
- Use the resources available to you via your accreditation provider
- Ensure the team understands their role & responsibilities
- Tailor templates to practice-specific processes. Avoid [insert your details here] text in your Policy & Procedure Manual
- Build a strong practice ‘quality’ culture - create buy-in to the process at all levels of the practice
- Implement a Review/Audit/Train cycle.
- Accreditation is an opportunity to identify improvements, even where no ‘non-compliances’ exist.
- Surveyors are not ‘looking’ for non-compliances! Use the survey visit as a learning opportunity.
- Understand the notion of ‘meeting the intent of the Standards’ to provide flexibility in how evidence is provided. For example - staff meeting notes or minutes structure
Why do practices undertake accreditation? To ensure patient safety & quality care measures are embedded in everyday actions and activities. It is a pathway to high performance primary care. It also provides funding access Practice Incentives Payment Program PIP, Workforce Incentives Payment Program WIP, and participation as teaching practices
The Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Healthcare Advisory kit GP18/04 notification of sig risk. 1. Pt identification 2. Reusable instruments (inv proc) 3. Medicines storage 4. Management of temperature sensitive medicines 5. Follow up of significant tests.
NSQHS Standards Primary & Community Health Care Services
For experienced practices - consider looking at other Standards for elevating performance such as the NSQHS Primary Health Care Standards.