International Society for Quality in Health Care or ISQua

ISQua, The International Society for Quality in Health Care, is a non-profit, independent organisation with members in over 70 countries. ISQua works to provide services to guide health professionals, providers, researchers, agencies, policy makers and consumers, to achieve excellence in healthcare delivery to all people, and to continuously improve the quality and safety of care.

ISQua's International Accreditation Programme

The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) launched its International Accreditation Programme (IAP) in 1999. This is the only international programme that 'Accredits the Accreditors'. As of May 2009 ISQua have accredited 13 organisations, 28 sets of standards and 2 surveyor training programmes.

How does the IAP work?

IAP products provide a four year accreditation cycle for:

• national accreditation bodies
• service specific external evaluation bodies (i.e. Blood Transfusion, Autism Services)
• health care standards
• surveyor training programmes

Each product is independent, although it is recommended that for organisations seeking both standards and organisational accreditation, the standards assessment is undertaken first.

All IAP products include

• a set of internationally validated standards
• a self-assessment process
• evaluation findings and written report
• formal recommendations
• an accreditation award from ISQua
• ongoing monitoring and improvement.

Principles underlying all ISQua Standards

• Leadership through effective planning, governance and management
• Customer focus to meet the needs of internal and external customers, both existing and potential
• Organisational performance through the management of processes and outcomes and the transparency of decision-making
• Continuous quality improvement based on innovation, evidence, best practice and evaluation to better meet the needs of customers
• Valuing people by appropriately selecting, training and appraising personnel and maintaining good relationships
• Safety by providing safe work environments and complying with statutory requirements.

Facts about IAP

• It provides confidence and credibility through formal worldwide recognition that an organisation meets agreed international standards specifically developed and tested for health care external evaluation bodies
• It involves an impartial and independent review system
• It provides reassurance to governments, funders, clients and the organisation itself that its performance, standards, or training programmes meet the highest international standards and are continuously improved.

ISQua Products

ISQua is now offering three products for health care external evaluation and standards setting bodies. These are:

• Accreditation of Organisation, which involves self-assessment validated by an on-site peer review evaluation. These standards have incorporated the International Standards Organisation (ISO) requirements for certification bodies, the Baldrige criteria for performance excellence as contained in the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) Excellence Model, and criteria for organisational excellence from the standards of a number of national accreditation bodies. The standards have been grouped into functions that logically reflect the business functions of external evaluation organisations.
• Accreditation of Standards, which involves self-assessment validated by a desk top peer review evaluation. The ISQua International Principles have been developed for the assessment and accreditation of health care standards of external evaluation organisations, including accreditation, certification, inspection and standards setting bodies. All external evaluation of healthcare services should begin with a well-established and tested set of standards.
• Accreditation of Surveyor Training Programme, which involves self-assessment validated by a desk top peer review evaluation. Many governments and funding agencies are now requiring external evaluation bodies to have a form of external approval for their surveyor training programmes.  The ISQua Surveyor Training Standards Programme has been developed for accreditation and external evaluation bodies that provide training for their own surveyors.

ISQua Accredited Organizations

• American Association of Blood Banks, Accreditation and Quality Programme  - AABB
• Accreditation Canada
• The Australian Council on Healthcare Standard - ACHS
• Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited / Quality in Practice - QIP/AGPAL
• Healthcare Accreditation Quality Unit, UK - CHKS-HAQU
• Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa - COHSASA
• Health Accreditation System of Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación, Co - ICONTEC
• The Irish Health Service Accreditation Board - IHSAB
• Joint Commission International, USA - JCI
• Malaysian Society for Quality in Health - MSQH
• Netherlands Institute for Accreditation in Healthcare - NIAZ
• Quality Improvement Council and the QIC Accreditation Program, Australia - QIC
• Taiwan Joint Commission on Healthcare Accreditation - TJCHA
• Health and Disability Auditing New Zealand - HDANZ
• Global-Mark Pty Ltd, Healthcare Certification Programme
• Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, Australia  - ACSAA

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Source: http://www.isqua.org