EQuIP for Day Hospitals

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the benefits of EQuIP for Day Hospitals?

Who was involved in developing this program?

What are the main differences with EQuIP 4?

What is the timeframe?

I am an ACHS member and a stand-alone day hospital. What should I do?

Can I keep using the existing program?

What are the cost implications?

Will the Electronic Assessment Tool (EAT) be different?

Will I remain accredited during the transition?

What if I am not an EQuIP member?

Summary of Changes

FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact the ACHS Customer Services team on +61 2 9281 9955 or email achs@achs.org.au

CLICK HERE to view the EQuIP for Day Hospitals criteria

Who is this program for?

This program has been developed specifically for privately-owned, stand-alone day hospitals. Existing members who meet the eligibility criteria will be migrated progressively over to the new product from 1 January 2010.

The program will not be available to other small facilities and services at this stage.

Who is eligible?

Eligible organisations are stand-alone, licensed and privately owned day hospitals with a Commonwealth Provider Number. Please contact an ACHS Customer Services Manager for more information on +61 2 9281 9955.

Why has the ACHS developed this program?

We have received consistent feedback from some individual day hospitals as well as representative associations that the EQuIP 4 accreditation process is unsuited for stand-alone day hospitals. The reasons have been summarised as:

·          a number of criteria and elements being non-applicable for day hospitals;

·          the burden of preparation being too much for small businesses that do not have the resources available within larger organisations;

·          the self-assessment process has been too time-consuming for day hospitals.

What are the benefits of EQuIP for Day Hospitals?

The program is consistent with EQuIP 4, whilst making the following changes (which are appropriate for the stand-alone day hospital setting):

·          reducing pre-survey documentation;

·          reducing self-assessment content requirements; and

·          reducing the survey frequency.

There are also cost savings with EQuIP for Day Hospitals.

Who was involved in developing this program?

A working group made up of day hospital surveyors, an executive director from a day hospital, a day hospital Customer Services Manager and ACHS executive staff developed the program.

What are the main differences with EQuIP 4?

The model of accreditation is a customised version of EQuIP 4. It is a standards-based, continuous quality improvement framework over a three-year cycle. The first year involves a pre-survey assessment and an organisation-wide survey. The second and third years involve reduced self-assessments in order to promote continuous improvement across the three-year cycle.

Only one onsite survey in a three-year cycle aims to reduce the burden to day hospitals instead of the previous two onsite surveys in a four-year cycle.  The accreditation awarded following a successful survey is for a three-year period. This also reduces the amount of pre-survey documentation and preparation during the accreditation cycle.

What is the timeframe?

Existing members who meet the eligibility criteria will be migrated progressively over to the new product from 1 January 2010.

I am an ACHS member and a stand-alone day hospital. What should I do?

The ACHS Customer Services Managers are contacting our eligible members to arrange their transition to EQuIP for Day Hospitals. Eligible members with an accreditation event in the first quarter of 2010 should have already been contacted by their Customer Services Manager.  

In the meantime, you may wish to contact your Customer Services Manager for more information on +61 2 9281 9955 or email achs@achs.org.au

Can I keep using the existing program?

Existing members who meet the eligibility criteria will be migrated progressively over to the new product from 1 January 2010 with support from their Customer Services Manager. Eligible organisations are stand-alone, licensed and privately-owned day hospitals with a Commonwealth Provider Number. There are cost savings with the new program as well as a discount for existing EQuIP 4 members as they transfer to the EQuIP for Day Hospitals in 2010.

What are the cost implications?

There are cost savings associated with the new program due to the single survey in a three-year cycle as well as a discount for members as they transition during 2010. For more information, please contact your Customers Services Manager on +61 2 9281 9955 or email achs@achs.org.au

Will the Electronic Assessment Tool (EAT) be different?

A tailored version of the EAT, which supports the reduction in pre-survey documentation, is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2010.  The EAT for Day Hospitals is currently being pilot tested.

Will I remain accredited during the transition?

The program has been designed to allow a smooth transition from EQuIP 4 to EQuIP for Day Hospitals. Our Customer Services Managers are liaising with our privately-owned, stand-alone day hospital members to ensure an easy transition during the existing accreditation cycle.

What if I am not an EQuIP member?

For day hospitals new to accreditation:

A six-month certification membership is offered for day hospitals new to EQuIP. Eligible organisations may be awarded certification status for a period of up to 12 months during which the organisation must join as a full EQuIP member and undergo a full OWS within three months of this membership commencing.

For day hospitals accredited with another provider:

There is a seamless transition to EQuIP for day hospitals which will maintain accreditation status (ensuring accredited day hospitals are able to claim relevant health fund benefits). For more information please contact the ACHS on +61 2 9281 9955 or email achs@achs.org.au

Summary of Changes

The changes maintain the integrity of the EQuIP 4 standards whilst tailoring them particularly for the day hospital sector.

In summary, the cycle of EQuIP has been reduced to a more focussed set of standards appropriate to the stand-alone day hospital setting, a three-year cycle with one on-site survey and a reduction in self-assessment requirements.

FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact the ACHS Customer Services team on +61 2 9281 9955 or email achs@achs.org.au

CLICK HERE to view the EQuIP for Day Hospitals criteria