Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care Services
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Hospital at home services offer an alternative to traditional inpatient care.
• Accreditation and certification are crucial for ensuring quality and safety in healthcare facilities.
• The French National Health Authority mandates a rigorous certification process for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the certification process for a hospital at home unit.
• To evaluate the impact of the certification process on team collaboration and patient care.
• To understand how the certification approach can give meaning to collective action in home healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative description of the certification journey.
• Reflection by healthcare professionals involved in the process.
• Analysis of the impact on team dynamics and patient care delivery.

Main Results:

• The certification process required substantial commitment and collaboration from the healthcare teams.
• The approach successfully fostered a sense of shared purpose and meaning in collective action.
• Level A certification was achieved, validating the quality of care provided.

Conclusions:

• The certification process, while demanding, is a valuable tool for enhancing teamwork and purpose in hospital at home settings.
• Successful certification reinforces the quality and effectiveness of home-based patient care.
• This experience highlights the importance of structured quality improvement initiatives in specialized healthcare services.