There are many advantages of getting your practice accredited, with the ADAWA team here to help you along the way. We look into the process and the benefits.
“Practice accreditation is a process that practices can have to keep track of how they do things consistently,” explains Andrea Andrys. Andrea says going through processes enable practices to have consistent processes.
Getting your practice accredited demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a high level of standards for the dental profession, as your practice meets the requirements of the National Safety and Quality Health Services Standards. It is relevant for both General Dental and Specialty practices.
Andrea adds it is also very helpful when onboarding new staff. “Accreditation gives people who are new to the practice a place to start on learning how the practice has its policies and registers set up,” she explains.
“It allows a consistent process, not only for new but for existing staff. It is also helpful if a scenario occurs that does not happen very often but with these processes in place, the staff can identify in a policy that this is our process, and this is how we deal with it.”
It is also beneficial for both new and established practices. “It is a great thing to do for a new practice because it help them get everything set up as it should be – and for an established practice it helps them refine their processes so they are consistent and so everyone is doing things consistently,” Andrea says. She adds getting your practice accredited is also good for staff morale. “It is positive for staff that they know they are working at a practice that is meeting standards that are set nationally.”
The accreditation program allows completion over a 12-month period, giving practices the flexibility to compete the components at a time that is most convenient to them, although Andrea says she has seen practices knuckle down and finish their accreditation within a few months.
Accreditation templates are provided, making the process easy and structured to create your written policies.
Andrea says it is important to know you do not have to have everything together before you start accreditation.
“Many practices they think they have to have all their ducks in a row to register for accreditation and that is not the case.”
“The accreditation process helps you get everything in place so you can monitor, maintain and review your process,” she says. Andrea adds the accreditation process is easier than people often think it is going to be. “Often they think it is going to be someone coming into their practice and auditing them and saying they have to do things this way or that way,” she says. “Where really it is giving them templates to record things they are already doing, and helping them refine those processes so they can have better outcomes and reduce risk and to ensure they are meeting national standards.” Once a practice passes their accreditation, QIP provides decals for the practice to use on their website and ADA provides digital resources that the practice can use within their practice and in their emails to show they are an accredited practice. It is something to be proud of!
Accreditation support staff are available to help practices every step of the way (at the WA branch the accreditation support staff member is Andrea Andrys). “If practices have any problems with the QIP platform there is also a QIP liaison officer to help once a practice has submitted their application so the practice can get everything they need, as they need it,” she says.
Andrea also recommends registering for accreditation via the ADA website. “As an ADA member, when you register at ADA.org.au you get a 50 per cent discount off the registration fee for accreditation,” she says.
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