Involving consumers in accreditation: the Irish experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Accreditation
• Patient Experience
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• The Irish Health Services Accreditation Board (IHSAB) introduced service user (SU) surveyors into healthcare accreditation reviews in 2005.
• This initiative followed a 2004 review aimed at increasing consumer involvement in assessing healthcare organizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role and participation of consumer surveyors in the healthcare accreditation process.
• To gather stakeholder perspectives on the effectiveness and challenges of consumer involvement.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative techniques was employed.
• Consultations were held with all key stakeholder groups, including consumer surveyors, peer surveyors, healthcare organizations, and IHSAB staff.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders reported that consumer involvement enhanced the objectivity and credibility of accreditation reviews.
• Key traits for effective consumer surveyors include strong communication, interpersonal skills, observation abilities, and objectivity.
• Some challenges were identified regarding the clarity and consistency of the consumer surveyor role in rating criteria and contributing to reports.

Conclusions:

• The integration of service user surveyors into the accreditation process has been deemed successful.
• The study suggests a need to re-examine the specific role and extent of involvement for consumer surveyors to maximize their impact.