National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent board of Quality Council of India (QCI), set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations. NABH has been established with the objective of enhancing health system & promoting continuous quality improvement and patient safety. The board while being supported by all stakeholders, including industry, consumers, government, has full functional autonomy in its operation. NABH provides accreditation to hospitals in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of their ownership, legal status, size and degree of independence. International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) has accredited “Standards for Hospitals”, 3rd Edition, November 2011 developed by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH, India) under its International Accreditation Programme for a cycle of 4 years (April 2012 to March 2016). The approval of ISQua authenticates that NABH standards are in consonance with the global benchmarks set by ISQua. The hospitals accredited by NABH have international recognition. This will provide boost to medical tourism.
Benefits for Patients
Patients are the biggest beneficiary among all the stakeholders. Accreditation results in high quality of care and patient safety. Credential medical staff services the patients. Rights of patients are respected and protected. Patients’ satisfaction is regularly evaluated.
Benefits for Hospitals
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.
Benefits for Hospital Staff
The staff in an accredited hospital is 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 Para Medical Staff and provides leadership for quality improvement with medicine and nursing.
Benefits to paying and regulatory bodies
Finally, 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.
