National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) defines Hospital Accreditation as the public recognition to the particular hospital by international and national or healthcare accreditation body.

To further define, it's a “self-assessment and external peer assessment process employed by health care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in reference to established standards and to implement ways to continuously improve”.

Importance of Accreditation of Hospitals in Healthcare

In today’s time the quality of healthcare services has risen and it various economic process like medical tourism, insurance, corporate growth and competition works to make this happen.

As a results of these the expectations of the buyer for best in quality has also risen, which has indeed cause the introduction of national and international accreditation bodies to act as a top quality assurance mechanism, thus enhancing customers access to raised healthcare services. National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) defines Hospital Accreditation as the public recognition to the particular hospital by international and national or healthcare accreditation body.

it's a “self-assessment and external peer assessment process employed by health care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in reference to established standards and to implement ways to continuously improve”. The various standards of accreditation are supported the principles of quality assurance, evidence based practice, medical ethics and prevention of medical error.

Health System in India is extremely dynamic and operates in an environment with rapid social, economic and technical changes.

On the opposite hand it consists of various sorts of healthcare organizations and institutions delivering different levels of care not only to the local population but also to foreigners who visit India for medical treatment (Medical Tourism).

Such being the case, assuring quality in healthcare services becomes a mandate and receiving an accreditation is that the only answer thereto. It is the only most approach for improving the present standards of the hospitals.

The level of confidence and faith of the people in hospitals are often increased through accreditation since it ensures that the accredited healthcare organization practices and delivers continuous quality services and also functions in the best interests of all patient’s. The primary goal of the accreditation is to make sure that the hospitals not only perform evidence based practices but also give importance to access, affordability, efficiency, quality and effectiveness of healthcare.

It is quite evident that a lot of regulations made by the govt aren't followed in most states and hence the standard of healthcare remains poor and unattended. Since accreditation is voluntary, it challenges the medical regulations laid down by the govt both at state and central level. Accreditation helps to removes the areas of deficiency and establishes optimum standards, clinical excellence and professional accountability. Even the govt has acknowledged that accreditation should be performed by how of independent assessment programmes and with incentives both for secondary and tertiary level of hospitals to ensure patient safety and quality of care.

In India NABH was found out to determine and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations with the target of enhancing health care delivery system and promoting continuous quality improvement and patient safety. Regardless of ownership, status, size and degree of independence it provides accreditation to hospitals during a non-discriminatory manner.

NABH have standards which are accredited by International Society for Quality in Healthcare. This shows that the accredited hospital also will get international recognition.