Prince Edward Island's Regional Health Authorities will begin a series of four-day accreditation surveys today to assess their performance against national standards.
Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem advised that the accreditation process is one of the most effective measures health organizations use to assess their level of performance. "Accreditation is a very demanding but worthwhile process in quality and accountability," he said, "Based on self-assessment and peer review, it helps us to examine and improve the quality of care and services we provide, and report that progress to the public."
The regions were last surveyed by the Canadian Council On Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) in 1998. At that time, all five regions received maximum three-year accreditation status.
The surveys will be conducted by eleven members of the Canadian Council On Health Services Accreditation, including physicians and senior health administrators from across the country. Surveys will be held June 11-15 in East Prince and Queens, and June 18-21 in the Southern Kings, Eastern Kings and West Prince Health regions.
Programs and services will be evaluated on four dimensions of quality including responsiveness, system competency, client and community focus, and quality of employee work life. Surveyors will conduct interviews with staff, board members, physicians, patients, clients, families and residents. They will tour facilities and review documents and records. At the conclusion of the survey, they will report back to senior staff with their initial observations. Following their visit, the survey team will prepare a report of its findings and recommend an accreditation status. Regional Health Authorities expect to receive these results in the fall.
Sylvia Poirier, Queens Regional Health Authority Chair, advised that while accreditation is an intensive and demanding process for staff and board members, it is an extremely worthwhile exercise. "The value of accreditation is in the internal self-assessment leading up to the survey, and the consultative peer review process which is part of the on-site visit. It encourages us to work in teams to examine our processes and outcomes, and strive for continuous improvement."
Katherine Kelly, East Prince Regional Health Authority Board Chair Katherine Kelly advised that the surveyors will be using new standards to evaluate quality, risk and outcomes for population groups. "It wasn't long ago that we evaluated maternal and child health only by reviewing obstetrical services in hospitals. However, today, teams evaluate programs for this population by looking at a broad range of community and institutional services for prenatal to school age children. Accreditation has moved from meeting minimal structural-type standards towards a client-centred approach and positive health outcomes."