Dental Services Accreditation

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has granted approval to HDAA to assess health service organisations using the National Safety and Quality In Health Care Services Standards (NSQHSS) for Dental Practices.

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What is the NSQHSS?

The NSQHS standards provides a nationally consistent statement about the level of care consumers can expect from an accredited practice, boosting patient confidence in the safety and quality of services that are provided.

The second edition of the NSQHS Standards was released in November 2017, with Public Dental Practices being assessed to the second edition from January 2019. Private Dental Practices will continue to be assessed to the first edition of the NSQHS – Standards 1-6.

Private Dental Practices

The Commission has released a Guide for Dental Practices (Version 3, Nov 2015) to support practices prepare for and undertake assessment.

Assessment is via a desk top (off site) assessment process using HDAA’s onTrack for Dental Accreditation. onTack for Dental allows an easy and secure means for service to complete the self-assessment and provide evidence to support the self-assessment statements.

For private dental practices, the accreditation process is a voluntary scheme to the NSQHSS Edition 1 (standards 1 – 6). Assessment is via a desk top (off site) assessment process using HDAA’s onTrack for Dental Accreditation. onTack for Dental allows an easy and secure means for service to complete the self-assessment and provide evidence to support the self-assessment statements.

Public Dental Practices

Under the accreditation model, state and territory health departments (as Regulators) have agreed that public dental clinics and oral health services need to (must) be accredited to the NSQHS Standards 2nd Edition.

This means these services will be assessed, on-site, to the NSQHS Standard 2nd Edition on a three year organisational-wide assessment cycle.

The 6 Standards of the NSQHS for Private Dental

1. Governance for Safety and Quality in Health Service Organisations

2. Partnering with Consumers

3. Preventing and Controlling Healthcare Associated Infections

4. Medication Safety

5. Patient Identification and Procedure Matching

6. Clinical Handover

Preparing for your NSQHSS assessment

To support your assessment planning, HDAA will provide you with clear information and guidance in regard to the assessment process, evidence requirements and clarification of relevant time frames.

As a private practice HDAA will provide secure access to “onTrack for Dental Accreditation”; HDAA’s online system where dental practices provide all required information and evidence to HDAA for the assessor to review. In turn the assessment report is provided smoothly and quickly to the dental practice to advise of the outcome.

HDAA provide a desk top assessment for private dental practices seeking accreditation (no on site visit). This is a straightforward assessment process that removes costs associated to travel but requires the same rigor in your documents and records provided as evidence. Contact us to obtain access to onTrack for Dental Accreditation, our on line system for a desk top dental assessment.

An on site Assessment can also be conducted and involves a visit to your Head Office to review records and documents and to a sample of your sites/clinic locations, meeting with consumers who use your services, staff, management and Board (note, an on site assessment is required for public dental practices).

Throughout the Assessment we work together with you to provide:

Access to HDAA’s Program Support team to clarify the requirements of the standards and discuss the assessment or other relevant matters;
A fully participatory and inclusive approach by our Assessment Teams;
Experienced and skilled Assessors who have worked with these standards and other health assessment programs;
Assessors with relevant expertise and backgrounds.

There are a number of advantages to being accredited to the NSQHS Standards

Acknowledgement for high standards of care already in place and / or improvements made in the services provided.
Ability to demonstrate to your patients / clients that you have high clinical standards.
Being awarded an Accreditation Certificate specifying the award gained and period of accreditation. This you will be able to display in your practice along with certain written and marketing materials.
Ability to gain more customers.
Ability to compete more competitively with other dental practices.
Gaining experience and preparation for when the NSQHS Standards becomes mandatory for private dental practices.

Desktop assessment services

A desktop assessment is a straightforward experience that is smoothly managed online. All evidence is provided by you to HDAA electronically and assessed by our health assessors. Your report is then provided to you with any improvement actions (not met items) and the time frame for response.

Once all items are met your final report will be provided to you and a hard copy certificate and stickers posted to you to display in your practice and promote your achievement as an accredited practice.

Accreditation to the NSQHSS is for a period of three years from the date the Certificate decision is made. Re-assessment is required at 3 years to maintain accreditation and is again completed to Standards 1-6 of the NSQHSS Edition.

Resources

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website has numerous resources and detail related to accreditation for dental practices.

Guide for Dental Practices (Version 3, Nov 2015)

The HDAA Certification Experience

HDAA will work with your dental practice towards your goal of accreditation to the National Safety and Quality in Health Service Standards.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss how HDAA can assist your service with assessment to the NSQHSS.

Dental Services Accreditation

What is the NSQHSS?

Private Dental Practices

Public Dental Practices