The impact of hospital accreditation in selected Middle East countries: a scoping review

Abstract

PurposeThere is conflicting evidence concerning the impact of hospital accreditation programmes, including across the Middle East Region, where such programmes have been most recently implemented in Iran, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This paper maps available evidence regarding the impact of hospital accreditation in these three countries and draws attention to knowledge gaps for consideration.Design/methodology/approachThis scoping review was conducted in 2020, using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Five research databases were searched, along with five government and accreditation agency websites. Searches were complemented by citation chaining. English and Arabic publications evaluating hospital accreditation in the selected countries were included. Commentaries and articles not based on primary data collection and reviews of existing registry data were excluded. There were no exclusions based on study design or methods. A descriptive numerical summary and thematic analysis were used to synthesise the literature.Findingsstudies were included. The majority (n = 35) were published since 2014 and conducted in Saudi Arabia (n = 16). Four themes emerged: organisational impacts, patient safety, quality of care, and patient satisfaction and experience. The literature generally highlights positive impacts of accreditation, but most studies were based solely on health professionals' subjective perceptions. “Organisational impacts” had the largest, and strongest body of supporting evidence, while “patient safety” had the least and most variable evidence.Originality/valueOpportunities to strengthen the design and evaluation of hospital accreditation programmes in the selected countries are highlighted. Additional experimental, mixed-method research is recommended to strengthen the evidence base and inform practical enhancements to hospital accreditation programmes in the region.

Accreditation of primary health care centres in the KSA: Lessons from developed and developing countries

“…The KSA was an early adopter of health accreditation programmes in the Middle East region, 9 in order to improve the levels of service quality and provide a safer work environment. 10 The KSA government also launched a local accreditation programme, the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) (see Section 2.6 ), which was mandated to grant the CBAHI accreditation to healthcare facilities, including primary health care centres (PHCs).…”

“…However, the KSA is considered to be in the early stages of adopting accreditation. 9 Therefore, there are significant challenges that hinder the successful implementation of these programmes. 11…”

Impact of health system governance on healthcare quality in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review

“…An evidence-gap map of primary healthcare policy and governance in LMICs identified gaps in social accountability, public–private partnerships (PPP) and intersectoral collaboration 24. Other reviews have analysed the impacts of specific governance interventions such as demand-side and supply-side health financing strategies,25–34 stakeholder and community engagement,35 36 social accountability mechanisms,37–39 private sector partnerships40–46 and regulatory approaches 43 47–49. However, a broader mapping of the various governance interventions linked to the quality of healthcare services in LMICs is absent.…”

Examining the Influence of Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation Surveys on Medication Safety Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study from Mediclinic Welcare Hospital in Dubai, UAE

“…Brubakk, et al 51 conducted a systematic review that indicated that accreditation is expanding globally; however, due to insufficient evidence, no definitive conclusions could be drawn regarding its effectiveness. A scoping study by 52 indicated that accreditation programs generally improve multiple dimensions of hospital performance in the Middle East. However, some variations were noted across different countries and categories of impact.…”