Standardizing an Organizational Approach to Hospital Accreditation at an Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit

Abstract

Accreditation is a process that many healthcare organizations undergo in order to evaluate the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the services they provide. Current literature suggests that many organizations struggle with the accreditation process because it is such a large undertaking. An organization that obtains accreditation status is found to comply with a set of international recognized standards which demonstrates to stakeholders that they provide high quality, evidence-based, and safe care. In the last decade, healthcare has rapidly evolved from volume-based care to high-quality value-based care. With increased focus on valuable healthcare, accreditation has never been more important. The aim of this capstone project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a standardized organizational approach to CARF medical rehabilitation accreditation for an inpatient rehabilitation unit at a hospital in the Midwest. Various organizational resources such as a policy library, an accreditation tracking tool, a meeting structure with schedules and agendas, and a project management structure were developed to assist therapy leaders in preparing for and maintaining compliance with CARF accreditation standards. The results of this project were highly satisfactory in terms of its purpose, relevance, and utility. By utilizing occupational therapy’s unique role in utilizing evidence-based research, analysis skills, and patient-centered care, a systematic project management structure was successfully created and implemented thus improving the overall quality of healthcare services at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. This project demonstrates the impact of engaging in accreditation on maximizing the overall quality of healthcare services.