Accreditation is a process used by healthcare organizations to assess their performance against established standards and facilitate continuous quality improvement. It aims to gain public trust, maintain minimum standards, increase effectiveness and efficiency, and promote cooperation among staff. The accreditation process involves application, self-assessment, an on-site survey, report preparation, receiving accreditation, and maintaining accredited status. In India, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and the Indian Nursing Council are two agencies that oversee accreditation of educational institutions using criteria like curricula, infrastructure, research, and governance. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals also accredits healthcare facilities in India with a focus on patient safety, infection control, and clinical

1. ACCREDITATION
A self-assessment and external peer assessment process used by health
care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in
relation to established standards and to implement ways to continuously
improve it
- John
Braithwaite, 2001
A formal procedure used to determine the competence - Tempus, 2001

2. Aims of Accreditation
• To gain citizen and employee confidence in the goals, objectives,
policies, and nursing practices.
• To maintain minimum standards.
• To increase institutional capabilities to prevent and control errors.
• To increase departmental effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery
of nursing services.
• To enhance cooperation and coordination among staff.

3. Objectives of Accreditation
• Provides a yardstick to measure effectiveness of the programs and services.
• Defines services provided and ensures uniformity of services provided.
• Streamlines operations and continually gets feedbacks.
• Provides more effective infrastructure.
• Creates higher morale and a positive attitude among members of the hospitals.

4. Accreditation Process
• Application for registration
• Self assessment
• On the site survey
• Report preparation
• Award of accreditation
• Maintaining accredited status.

5. Type of Accreditation agencies in India for Education
NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC)
National Assessment and Accreditation Council is an autonomous
institution established by University Grants Commission in 1994. It is
engaged in assessment, accreditation and academic audit.
Procedure for Assessment and Accreditation by NAAC
NAAC has formulated a three stage process for assessment and
accreditation as-
1. Institutional Eligibility for Quality Assessment (IEQA)
2. Preparation of the Self-Study Report
3. Peer Team Visit

6. Criteria for Assessment
NAAC has identified the following seven criteria to serve as the basis of
its assessment procedures:
• Curricular Aspects
• Teaching-Learning and Evaluation
• Research, Consultancy and Extension
• Infrastructure and Learning Resources
• Student Support and Progression
• Governance and Leadership
• Innovative practices.

7. THE INDIAN NURSING COUNCIL AND ACCREDITATION
Objectives
• To assess and accredit institutions
• To assist them to improve the quality of education
• Criteria for evaluating programme
• To define standards for nursing institutions
• To update the curriculum
• To have periodical inspections

8. PROCESS OF ACCREDITATION

9. HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN INDIA
National Accreditation Board For Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)
and Quality Control of India (QCI)
NABH is a constituent or comes under the purview of board of Quality Council of India, set up
with cooperation of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and the health
industry.
Aim
To establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organization.

10. Focus
The main focus is on patient rights & benefits, patient safety, control &
prevention of infections in hospitals, practicing good patient care
protocols and better and controlled clinical outcome and at the same
time are benchmarked with the best International standards.
Activities
Currently it accredits hospitals & nursing homes, and is expected to
accredit Blood Banks, Diagnostic Centres (Imaging), Dental Centres
and Ayurvedic Hospitals/ Clinics in future.