Hospital Accreditation and Quality Improvement: Evidence from Nurses in Madinah Healthcare Institutions

Abstract

Accreditation of hospitals has been understood globally as a strategic tool for enhancing the quality of healthcare, patient safety and a hospital's overall performance. In Saudi Arabia, hospital accreditation standards are set by the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI). Nurses have a vital role in the use of accreditation in hospitals through their responsibilities in patient care, clinical documentation, quality control, and patient safety measures. Although more and more Saudi hospitals are implementing accreditation programs, there is still very little research about nurses' views on the effects of accreditation on the quality of healthcare, especially in Madinah. Hence, this research was conducted to explore nursing thoughts on how hospital accreditation affects the quality of care in three different hospitals at King Salman Medical City in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

The research study used a cross-sectional comparative-descriptive design. 192 registered nurses participated in the study by providing responses to Shortell et al.'s (1995) Accreditation Tool. The study was statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha reliability testing, and stepwise multiple regression analysis.

The study results revealed that nurses had a moderate-to-positive attitude towards accreditation in relation to all aspects of quality. The comparison of hospital staff shows large differences in rewards and recognition, staff involvement, and quality results. The reliability test showed that the accreditation instrument is highly reliable (α = 0.991). Based on the regression analysis, it was found that quality management, use of data, leadership, and rewards and recognition could accurately predict perceived quality results, together explaining 86.3% of the variance. The results reveal that accreditation has a good impact on nurses' perceptions of the quality of healthcare; nevertheless, more staff participation, recognition systems, and well-established quality management strategies are required for accreditation to be effectively implemented.