Accreditation: a "voluntary" regulatory requirement.

Hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers may choose to voluntarily apply for accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), or the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF) as appropriate. The facilities must comply with written standards regarding the environment of care, the provision of care, and the quality of care. Regular surveys of the organization's performance by the accrediting agency are intended to ensure the quality of care provided to the patients entrusted to our care. The accreditation process certifies to the health care community and the community-at-large that the facilities meet nationally accepted standards through a recognized accreditation program. Perianesthesia nurses should have an understanding of the regulatory agencies that influence daily patient care. This article provides an overview of the 3 accrediting bodies: JCAHO, AAAHC, and AAAASF. These agencies are committed to improving safety by providing standards of care, survey evaluations, and professional consultative and educational services, and they have an important role in our health care environments.