ACCREDITATION AND HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY IN RWANDA - A CASE STUDY OF ACCREDITATION PROJECT OF KING FAISAL HOSPITAL, KIGALI

Accreditation is a crucial internationally recognized evaluation process used to assess and enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare organizations. It is based on the idea that adhering to evidence-based standards can lead to high-quality healthcare services. However, accreditation often involves significant costs, making it essential to evaluate its worth, especially in resource-limited regions like public healthcare organizations in Rwanda. This study examined the contribution of the accreditation project to the quality of healthcare in King Faisal Hospital, Kigali. This study used a retrospective research design with a quantitative approach whereby 354 patient records were reviewed, of which 71 represented the period before accreditation, 169 represented the period after the first accreditation, and 114 represented the year in which the hospital was preparing for the third accreditation. In addition, secondary data analysis was conducted on available data from the Office of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), Office of the Chief Executive Officer, and Office of Human Resources. One-way analysis of variance was performed at a significance level of <0.05 to test for differences between the three time periods examined. The findings resulting from this analysis showed that accreditation is associated with improved healthcare service delivery (p < 0.001). The health service provided was permitted for only 11.3% of the patients served before the hospital's accreditation, while it was permitted for 90.5% of the patients served after the accreditation. In addition, the accreditation process optimized management and leadership efforts to improve the delivery of healthcare services through ratification, implementation, and monitoring of clinical policies, guidelines, and protocols, as well as an established workforce capacity-building system. Therefore, it is worth tackling accreditation as a strategic approach to improving the quality of healthcare services.  Article visualizations: