Accreditation Of Primary Health Care Centers In Lebanon

Accreditation of Primary Health Care Centers in Lebanon

Introduction:
In order to strengthen the growth of the health sector in general and the governmental sector in particular along with enforcing the role of governmental hospitals to be able to compete with other health care institutions, improving the quality of health care services provided by Primary Health Care (PHC) centers across Lebanon has become a priority to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

For this reason, MoPH in collaboration with Accreditation Canada implemented the Accreditation program on PHC centers chosen from across Lebanon. This program started during 2008 with Phase 1 of implementation reaching its phase 4 of implementation planned for 2015.

The Accreditation program was implemented over a four-phase process:

Phase I: (2008-2010)

Development of national PHC accreditation standards
Education and training of key stakeholders on Accreditation process
Pilot tested the standards in 3 PHC centers

Phase II: (2011-2012)

Established a series of workshops tackling the quality of services and the accreditation of PHC centers
Accreditation Canada surveyed 22 PHC centers
Issuing of protocols, policies, procedures and guidebook about the Accreditation process

Phase III: (2013-2014)

Training/workshop on accreditation standards aiming at strengthening and building the capacity of health care providers of the centers involved about the implementation of these standards for a 6-day period. During this period, 140 health care providers, including physicians, nurses, and administrators participated.
Field coordinators visited PHC centers to follow up on the implementation of the Accreditation standards in addition to recommendations given for improvement
During the month of August (4th-15th), 33 PHC centers were chosen for assessment based on their readiness. In addition to setting a plan of steps to follow up on the PHC center’s readiness and support for readiness for Accreditation Canada’s Survey.
Theoretical and Practical training of 20 National Surveyors during the month of August held by Accreditation Canada, aiming at forming a national team that will ensure the sustainability of this project in terms of implementation.

Phase IV (Plan for 2015):

Update Accreditation Standards
Train 43 PHC centers (a total of 89 Health Care Workers from these centers will be trained)
Capacity building for 78 Accreditation Coordinators
Theory and Practicum Training for 16 National Surveyors
Develop system for Accreditation Decision & claim Accreditation system
Self-assessment for 21 PHC centers and Mock survey visit
Prepare 10 PHC centers for Actual survey by Accreditation Canada

As part of the Accreditation process, a new Standards of Operation (SOP) Manual for the pharmacies found in the national PHC network is being drafted for implementation. This manual includes the following topics for the pharmacies to abide by and which will be audited during Accreditation surveying:

Application of good storage conditions
Receipt of prescriptions and dispensing of products
Documentation
Personnel
Quality management of pharmacy
Transportation of pharmaceutical products

2. Diagram of Accreditation Phases
3. Self-assessment Standards by Accreditation Canada
4. List of Accredited Primary Health Care Centers within the National Network of Primary Health Care Centers

5. Launching of Phase 4 Training

March 2015

Launching for Phase 4 during 2015, started with a 2-day training ‘’Introduction to the Primary Care Accreditation Process for Lebanon’’ was held on Thursday 5th and Saturday 7th March 2015 at the Glass Building Hall of MoPH with the presence of representatives from PHC centers within the National PHC network that are chosen for Accreditation from across Lebanon. The training covered the following topics: definition and description of quality, quality improvement tools, primary care standards of accreditation, and performance measurement.

2. May 2015

During May 2015, and within Phase 4 Accreditation Trainings held, Directors and Accreditation coordinators from the different involved PHC centers from across Lebanon met for an ongoing 6-day training workshop.

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