Assessing the Holistic Impact of Accreditation Standards on Healthcare Professionals at a Tertiary Care Setting in India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Healthcare accreditation systems, such as the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), aim to improve the quality and safety of patient care by implementing structured frameworks. However, limited research exists to measure NABH’s impact on healthcare professionals. Aim: To assess healthcare professionals’ perceptions of NABH’s influence on service quality and adaptability in a tertiary care setting, examine the role of designation and years of experience, and identify implementation challenges. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre and SRM Global Hospitals in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, India, from June 2024 to October 2024. A total of 321 healthcare professionals were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on service quality and adaptability. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Favourable perceptions were observed regarding patient safety among 226 (70.4%) participants and infrastructure among 184 (57.3%) participants. In contrast, perceptions were less favourable for adaptability metrics, including updating procedures among 145 (45.2%) participants and role confidence among 152 (47.4%) participants. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that nurses (p-value=0.009), pharmacists (p-value <0.001), and those with less than five years of experience (p-value=0.001) were significantly associated with variations in perceptions of service quality, while health administrators (p-value=0.046, p-value=0.034) were significant for service quality and adaptability post-accreditation. Challenges such as time constraints and excessive workload hindered implementation. Conclusion: NABH positively impacted adaptability but revealed gaps in service quality. Targeted interventions addressing workload and training may enhance the integration of accreditation standards.