Certification for Assisted Infusion Therapy Service Distinction: perception of impacts and improvements (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Does a health service with accreditation certification still have opportunities for improvements in its quality processes? This is a constant question for health managers. Therefore, the objective of this work was to raise the impacts and improvements perceived from the certification by Distinction of Assisted Infusion Therapy Services. After the consolidation cycle of this certification at the Center for Dispensing High-Cost Medicines at the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic of Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo, a structured interview was conducted with the person in charge of the service to understand which improvements in processes are attributed to the certification program, benefiting an institution that already has full accreditation. Among the main impacts is the standardization of processes with the management of assisted therapy indicators, which brought opportunities to identify robust cycles of improvement. Because it is a distinction, whose look is very specific, there was an improvement in the transition of information, strengthening barriers to care risks, promoting greater planning and continuity of care due to the effectiveness of communication and improving the engagement of professionals. Access management actions are related to the reduction of patient absenteeism, better use of resources, greater adaptation to protocols and regularity in the use of medicines, increasing the safety of the medication chain and sustainability in the use of these inputs. Currently, the greatest strength of the service is the added value in the pharmacy sector, with great accuracy in providing treatment to the patient. With a focus on generating value and competitive advantage, certification programs based on services or protocols are an important tool to fill gaps in services, while raising the level of maturity in the organization's quality and safety management.