Evaluating employees' quality perceptions based on the accreditation status of healthcare institutions

This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating and comparing the quality perceptions of healthcare workers in accredited and non-accredited healthcare institutions. The study included a total of 450 voluntary healthcare workers from Medicana Ankara Hospital and Medicana Bursa Hospital. Data was collected face-to- face by the researcher using the "Quality Perception Scale" developed by Bayer and Baykal in 2019, between February and May 2022. The majority of the participants in the study are female, aged between 29-39, high school graduates, and nurses. The participants' years of experience in their profession and at their institutions vary between 6 months and 3 years. While there was a significant difference between the accreditation status of healthcare institutions and the educational background of the employees and the distribution of total work experience in the profession and at the institution, there was no significant difference found among the age groups, gender, and positions of the employees. The number of employees with 4-6 years of experience in the profession and at the institution is higher in accredited healthcare institutions, while the number of employees with 6 months to 3 years of experience is higher in non-accredited healthcare institutions. The number of employees with associate degrees is higher in non-accredited healthcare institutions compared to accredited ones. In the study, the quality perception sub-dimensions of management and leadership, human resource utilization, quality education, measurement and evaluation, institutional benefit, employee benefit, and patient benefit were compared between healthcare workers in accredited and non-accredited healthcare institutions. Significant differences were found between the accreditation status of healthcare institutions and all sub-dimensions of quality perception. Healthcare workers in accredited healthcare institutions had higher quality perceptions compared to those in non-accredited healthcare institutions. In conclusion, it was determined that accreditation in healthcare institutions affects the quality perceptions of employees, and healthcare workers in accredited healthcare institutions have a higher quality perception. It can be suggested that healthcare institution managers encourage active participation of employees in the accreditation process and provide quality education to involve employees more effectively in this process.