HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS FOR NABH ACCREDITATION WITH RESPECT TO PATIENT RIGHTS AND EDUCATION

Indian health care system is currently operating within an environment of rapid social, economical and technical changes and hospitals are an integral part of health care system. Accreditation would be the single most important approach for improving the quality of hospitals. National accreditation system for hospitals ensures that hospitals, whether public or private, national or expatriate, play their expected roles in national health system. Accreditation results in high quality of care and patient safety. Patient rights encompass legal and ethical issues in the provider-patient relationship, including a person’s right to privacy, right to quality medical care without prejudice, right to make informed decisions about care and treatment options, and right to refuse treatment. This study assesses the NABH Accreditation preparedness of the hospital with respect to the patient rights and education. The results of this study reveal that existing patient’s right practices are not on par with the NABH standards. Concrete steps in terms of initiating a mechanism of action to ensure strict adherence to patients’ rights and upgradation of the existing practices is necessary.