The document summarizes a study on engaging health professionals in developing accreditation programs in Andalusia, Spain. 60 technical advisory committees with 439 health professionals were created from 2005-2006. The committees facilitated the design of an accreditation program for professional competencies. Key factors in its success were early stakeholder involvement, leadership support, evidence-based decisions, sufficient time, and online collaboration. While facing skepticism and variability, the participatory process strengthened knowledge, diversity of perspectives, and professional commitment to quality improvement.

1. 26th International Conference
The International Society for Quality in Health Care
Dublin 11th - 14th October 2009
ENGAGING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS
Authors: Sotillos-González B., Reyes-Alcázar V., Torres-Olivera A.
Andalusian Agency for Healthcare Quality
1. OBJECTIVE
To explain both the process and results of incorporating health professionals expertise in the design of accreditation processes in
a regional health system (Andalusia, Spain).
2. METHODS
In order to involve healthcare professionals, the methodological option was to select leading professionals from different disciplines, whose recognition
is acknowledged from different sources. The implementation of the participative design for the Accreditation Program of Professional Competences was
as follows:
● Representatives from Scientific Societies, Professional Associations and other experts were involved in the debate through Technical Advisory
Committees.
● Each of them had its own Co-ordinator, who played a role of promoters.
● The timetable for the consultation process was not pre-established but rather depended on the tasks developed by each Committee.
● Overall, the involvement process lasted from March 2005 to September 2006.
3. RESULTS
4. CONCLUSIONS
1. Quantitative results: 60 Technical Advisory Committees were created
involving 439 healthcare professionals. The average number of
participants per Committee was 7.5 ± 2.4.
1. The experience can be described as successful and serves to
2. Qualitative results:
a) Main Facilitators: early stakeholder involvement; CEO implication;
decisions taken on the basis of scientific evidence; provision of
sufficient time; use of on-line tools; and participation geared as a
learning process.
b) Main Hurdles: scepticism about the value of the process; internal
heterogeneity on the Committees and variability amongst them;
excessive effort required at certain times.
c) Based on these facilitators and hurdles, three global dimensions were
defined in a qualitative analysis of the experience, and they account for
the successful development of the program: 1) Institutional Support, 2)
Knowledge Management and 3) Respect for Diversity.
underline a clear fact: when suitable conditions are developed,
participative processes are possible and professionals are willing to take
an active part in designing healthcare policies.
2. The commitment of each professional to the accreditation process
within his/her own specialty, the existence of a clearly defined
methodology and collaboration based on trust between the sponsoring
body and participants were a few of the factors that had the most direct
bearing on the success of the experience.
3. This collaborative process added value to the knowledge and
expertise of the participants and increased their sense of belonging to
the regional healthcare network. The experience was an example of
effective bi-directional trust in healthcare organisations and the final
result was that the facilitators surpassed the hurdles.
www.juntadeandalucia.es/agenciadecalidadsanitaria