NABH
Benefits of Accreditation With the turn of the century, competition in most industries has gone up by several notches and every participant has had to innovate and maintain high standards to stay in the race. With evolving technology, increasing talent and more available avenues in business, there can only be so much variation in the standard of different products and services in direct competition with each other. To set oneself apart, attention to quality and customer orientation would need to be given utmost priority.

Healthcare is no different. The demand for quality in healthcare services has risen due to various market forces such as medical tourism, insurance, corporate growth and competition. With investment set to grow in healthcare, both from the private and public sector, stakes will be high and all participants will want to ensure that this investment is put to the best use possible. Customers of healthcare facilities, both internal (participant doctors, clinical and non clinical staff)) and external (patients), will want to ensure that they are a part of an institution that is recognized for the quality and high standard of their services. Therefore, it is imperative that healthcare facilities strive for excellence in quality. Accreditation bodies like NABH act as a quality assurance mechanism.

• Accreditation provides formal recognition by peers, both within the institution and across the country.
• Encourages planning, identifies areas for change, and provides substantial information that can be used to support resource decisions.
• Accreditation results in high quality of care and patient safety. The patients get services by credential medical staff.
• Accreditation benefits all stake holders. Patients are the biggest beneficiary.
• Rights of patients are respected and protected. Patient satisfaction is regularly evaluated.
• It is extremely influential in recruiting outstanding faculty and students. contributes to the assurance that graduates of these programs have formal preparation that meets nationally accepted standards and quality.
• It enhances credibility.
• The staff in an accredited health care organisation are satisfied lot as it provides for continuous learning, good working environment, leadership and above all ownership of clinical processes.
• Accreditation to a health care organisation stimulates continuous improvement.
• It enables the organisation in demonstrating commitment to quality care.
• It raises community confidence in the services provided by the health care organisation.
• It also provides opportunity to healthcare unit to benchmark with the best.
• Finally, accreditation provides an objective system of empanelment by insurance and other third parties.

Listed below are some of the key advantages:

Patients

• NABH standards facilitate patient safety and reduction in errors
• Improved quality of care and importance to patient rights results in a greater patient satisfaction rate
• Accreditation helps improve the confidence of the community towards the services provided by the hospital

Staff

• Results in greater staff satisfaction as it provides an opportunity for continuous learning, good working environment and ownership of clinical processes
• It also helps recruitment activities as the staff prefers to work with an accredited organization over a non- accredited organization
• It ensures staff efficiency, accountability and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures
• Accreditation bodies provide continuous support and training to accredited organization

Insurance and TPA

• Accreditation has now become a prerequisite to be eligible for certain insurance reimbursement, participation in managed care plans and bidding on contracts

Marketing

• An accreditation status provides marketing advantage in a competitive health care marketplace and improves the ability to secure new business
• It provides an opportunity for the hospital to benchmark its services with the best and in turn helps promote footfalls along with medical tourism

Hospital

• In addition to the above, an accreditation helps the organization streamline its processes and ensure adherence to it
• It also provides a framework for setting up quality improvement plans
• Helps in risk management
• The quality of healthcare imparted to patients in several hospitals in India fall short of standards of care and healing. One can only hope that a combination of realization by these hospitals to improve and the passing of a law to make quality accreditation mandatory will eventually lead to quality healthcare in its truest sense.

NABL
What are the aims and objectives of NABL...?
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is an autonomous body under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, and is registered under the Societies Act. NABL has been established with the objective to provide Government, Industry and Society in general with a scheme for third-party assessment of the quality and technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Government of India has authorized NABL as the sole accreditation body for Testing and Calibration laboratories. In order to achieve this objective, NABL provides laboratory accreditation services to laboratories that are performing tests / calibrations in accordance with NABL criteria based on internationally accepted standard for laboratory accreditation. These services are offered in a non-discriminatory manner and are accessible to all testing and calibration laboratories in India and abroad, regardless of their ownership, legal status, size and degree of independence.

What is laboratory accreditation...?
The concept of Laboratory Accreditation was developed to provide a means for third-party certification of the competence of laboratories to perform specific type(s) of testing and calibration. Laboratory Accreditation provides formal recognition of competent laboratories, thus providing a ready means for customers to find reliable testing and calibration services in order to meet their demands. Laboratory Accreditation enhances customer confidence in accepting testing / calibration reports issued by accredited laboratories. The globalization of Indian economy and the liberalization policies initiated by the Government in reducing trade barriers and providing greater thrust to exports makes it imperative for Accredited Laboratories to be at international level of competence.

Why is laboratory accreditation required...?
1. Laboratory Accreditation provides formal recognition of competent laboratories, thus providing a ready means for customers to find reliable testing and calibration services in order to meet their demands.
2. Laboratory Accreditation enhances customer confidence in accepting testing / calibration reports issued by accredited laboratories. Society also needs to know the technically competent laboratory in fields such as Medical, Forensic, Food Testing etc.
3. The globalization of Indian economy and the liberalization policies initiated by the Government in reducing trade barriers and providing greater thrust to exports makes it imperative for Accredited Laboratories to be at international level of competence.
4. What are benefits of accreditation...? Potential increase in business due to enhanced customer confidence and satisfaction. Savings in terms of time and money due to reduction or elimination of the need for re-testing of products.
5. Better control of laboratory operations and feedback to laboratories as to whether they have sound Quality Assurance System and are technically competent. Increase of confidence in Testing / Calibration data and personnel performing work. Customers can search and identify the laboratories accredited by NABL for their specific requirements from the directory of Accredited Laboratories. Users of accredited laboratories will enjoy greater access for their products, in both domestic and international markets, when tested by accredited laboratories.

What types of laboratories can seek accreditation...?
The laboratories should be legally identifiable & appropriately registered. They can be a part of a big organization or an independent entity. NABL can provide accreditation to: Laboratories undertaking any sort of testing or calibration in the specified fields. Private or government laboratories. Small operations to large multi-field laboratories. Site facilities, temporary field operations and mobile laboratories.

Which fields of testing and calibration are covered by NABL...?
NABL Accreditation is currently given in the following fields:
Testing Laboratories
Calibration Laboratories
Medical Laboratories
Biological Electro-Technical Clinical Biochemistry
Chemical Mechanical Clinical Pathology
Electrical Fluid Flow Haematology and
Electronics Thermal & Optical Immunohematology
Fluid-Flow Radiological Microbiology and Serology
Mechanical Histopathology
Non-Destructive Cytopathology
Photometry Genetics
Radiological Nuclear Medicine (in-vitro tests only)
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