Impact of Accreditation on Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge on Quality Management

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of accreditation in enhancing the knowledge of healthcare professionals on management of quality. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to selected healthcare professionals in various hospitals in India predominantly from accredited hospitals. About 600 potential respondents were selected. A 40-item survey was designed and comprised questions on demographic data, knowledge of definition of general quality, healthcare quality and implementation of quality systems in hospitals, and the difference between various standards of measurement of quality in healthcare and quality in support functions. The knowledge of healthcare professionals significantly varies according to their designations, accreditation status of the work place, and their qualification. Overall, good knowledge on quality is suggestive of conceptual clarity among healthcare professionals regarding quality who either have exposure to hospital accreditation or are working in accredited hospitals.