National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent board of Quality Council of India (QCI), set up to establish and operate accreditation program for healthcare organizations. The board while being Supported by all stakeholders including industry, consumers, government, and have full functional autonomy in its operation. The accreditation assures commitment to create a culture of quality, patient safety, efficiency and accountability towards patient care. Policies and protocols are established as per National/International Standards for patient care, medication management, consent process, patient safety, clinical outcomes, medical records, infection control and staffing. Thus it is made sure that the patients are treated with respect, dignity and courtesy at all times, patients are involved in care planning and decision making, patients are treated by qualified and trained staff, feedback from patients is sought and complaints – if any – are addressed, transparency in billing and availability of tariff list, continuous monitoring of its services for improvement and commitment to prevent adverse events that may occur.
Benefits of Accreditation
Patients are the biggest beneficiaries of this accreditation. Accreditation results in high quality of care and patient safety. The patients get services by credential medical staff. Rights of patients are respected and protected. Patient satisfaction is regularly evaluated.
Accreditation to a Hospital stimulates continuous improvement. It enables hospital in demonstrating commitment to quality care. It raises community confidence in the services provided by the hospital. It also provides opportunity to healthcare unit to benchmark with the best. The Staff in an accredited hospital are satisfied lot as it provides for continuous learning, good working environment, leadership and above
all ownership of clinical processes. It improves overall professional development of Clinicians and Paramedical staff and provides leadership for quality improvement within medicine and nursing.
Accreditation provides an objective system of empanelment by Insurance and other Third Parties. Accreditation provides access to reliable and certified information on facilities, infrastructure and level of care.
International Linkages
NABH is an institutional member of International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) as well as a member of its Board and accreditation Council. NABH standards for hospitals has been accredited by ISQua. The accreditation of NABH standard for hospitals authenticates that NABH standards are in consonance with the global benchmarks set by ISQua and thus hospitals accredited by NABH will have international recognition. International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) is an international body which grants approval to Accreditation Bodies in the area of healthcare as mark of equivalence of accreditation programme of member countries. NABH is also one of the founder members of newly emerging Asian Society for Quality in Healthcare (ASQua).
