English: Accreditation / Deutsch: Akkreditierung / Español: Acreditación / Português: Acreditação / Français: Accréditation / Italiano: Accreditamento /
In the context of quality management, Accreditation refers to the formal recognition by an authoritative body that an organization is competent to perform specific processes, activities, or tasks in a reliable, credible, and accurate manner. This recognition typically comes after a thorough evaluation against predefined standards. Accreditation is often used to assess the competence of various types of organizations, including testing and calibration laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, and medical facilities.
Description
Accreditation in quality management serves as a third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body's ability to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks. The process involves:
- Assessment of competence: Based on international standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratories, ISO/IEC 17021 for certification bodies).
- Review of documentation: To ensure that the procedures and management systems of the organization meet the required standards.
- On-site evaluation: To observe the practical application of an organization's procedures and verify that they operate effectively.
Application Areas
- Healthcare: Accreditation of hospitals and medical laboratories to ensure patient safety and high-quality healthcare services.
- Manufacturing: Accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the measurements and tests they perform.
- Certification Industry: Accreditation of certification bodies that certify products, processes, and systems to ensure they are competent and their certifications are credible.
Well-Known Examples
- ISO/IEC 17025: An international standard that specifies the general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of laboratories.
- The Joint Commission: A US-based non-profit that accredits more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Treatment and Risks
Achieving and maintaining accreditation requires continuous effort to ensure compliance with the relevant standards. The risks of not being accredited include reduced market access, lower customer trust, and potentially lower quality of services or products. Organizations must regularly review and update their procedures, conduct internal audits, and undergo re-assessment by the accreditation body to retain their accredited status.
Summary
Accreditation in quality management is a critical process that signifies an organization's competence to perform specific tasks according to the standards of an authoritative body. It provides a mark of trust and reliability to customers and other stakeholders, indicating that the organization meets high standards of quality and professionalism in its operations.
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