Enhancing Hospital Accreditation Practices: Building and Implementing a Continuous Readiness Model

Accreditation Canada is moving from a three-to-five-year assessment cycle to a continuous assessment program. As our organization shifted to a culture of continuous readiness, we aimed to develop a model that would support a seamless transition. To develop our model, we completed a literature review, environmental scan and an organizational needs assessment. Grounded in quality management theory, our continuous readiness model includes overarching supporting infrastructure and tasks, tools and initiatives to embed the principles of continuous readiness across the organization. Our model provides organizations with a practical, evidence-informed process to support a state of continuous readiness for accreditation.