Results of the first 100 accreditation procedures in France

To identify the areas of needed improvement that were most frequently identified in the first 100 accredited hospitals by the French Accreditation College (FAC) according to the standards manual. To compare the outcomes of accreditation procedures according to the status and size of the accredited hospitals.

We analyzed the first 100 summaries of accreditation reports available on the website of the Agence Nationale d'Accréditation et d'Evaluation en Santé (ANAES).

Data were collected on hospitals, accreditation processes, and outcomes (decisions of the FAC). For each decision, we assessed the relationship with accreditation manual criteria, and analyzed their distribution by chapter.

of data synthesis. Among the 100 accredited hospitals (40 public, 43 private, 17 mixed), nine were accredited without recommendations for improvement, 47 with recommendations, 40 with reservations, and four with major reservations. All of them received requests for improvement. No significant difference was found concerning the FAC decisions according to status and size of hospitals, although there was a trend that the larger the hospital, the more numerous and more serious the decisions of the FAC. The main topics addressed by decisions were those given high priority by the FAC (information given to patients and its traceability on patient records, and signing of prescriptions for medication).

Despite wide heterogeneity in the summaries on accreditation and in FAC decision-making, this study provides an initial insight into common quality defects and ANAES priorities for hospitals in France.