Mapping service standards and guidelines to support accreditation processes – a case study of a collaborative effort worth replicating
Ann Dadich
A * , Pippa Blackburn B , Jessica Scaife C and Emily Saurman D
A School of Business, Western Sydney University, 169 Macquarie Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia.
B Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Unit 28-29 Piccadilly Centre, 341-349 Crown Street, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia.
C Department of Palliative Care, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Corner of Edith and Platt Streets, Waratah, NSW 2298, Australia.
D Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health, University of Sydney, Corrindah Court, Morgan Street, PO Box 457, Broken Hill, NSW 2880, Australia.
Australian Health Review 46(6) 695-700 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH22171
Submitted: 12 July 2022 Accepted: 3 November 2022 Published: 18 November 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.
Abstract
Health services respond to myriad practice standards and guidelines that regulate, monitor, and improve the safety and quality of healthcare. Although important, information overload and compliance fatigue for accreditation can be burdensome for service managers and clinicians. To address this, and ultimately improve the safety and quality of care, this case study demonstrates how a mapping exercise was completed to synthesise seven practice standards and guidelines relevant to palliative care; and develop an online resource to aid accreditation efforts and improve palliative care. A working group, comprised of service managers, clinicians, and academics, mapped a state-wide blueprint to improve palliative care against seven unique practice standards and guidelines, most of which were national in scope. This project culminated with a freely available online resource to translate the standards and guidelines for accreditation – a resource that supports service managers and clinicians across public and private health sectors to readily determine whether and how they demonstrated safety and quality in the context of palliative care and pursue accreditation. By developing one matrix, there is opportunity to alleviate information overload and compliance fatigue for service managers and clinicians. Despite its focus on palliative care, this case study demonstrates how to collaboratively map distinct practice standards and guidelines and form a resource to aid accreditation efforts to improve healthcare.
Keywords: accreditation, end-of-life care, guidelines, mapping exercise, online resource, palliative care, practice standards.
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