[Quality criteria and accreditation standard for home hospitalization services: Document from the Spanish Society of Home Hospitalization and the Spanish Society of Healthcare Quality].

INTRODUCTION AND

OBJECTIVES

Home hospitalization has emerged as an effective alternative to traditional hospitalization, especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, home hospitalization lacks uniformity in its implementation. This study, conducted by the Spanish Society of Home Hospitalization and the Spanish Society of Healthcare Quality, aims to develop specific quality criteria and an accreditation standard for home hospitalization units.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The qualitative study, carried out between May 2021 and June 2022, was conducted in 3 phases: literature review, consensus conference, and Delphi technique. The literature review identified existing quality criteria, and the consensus conference defined the areas and dimensions of quality. Using the Delphi technique, 67 national experts refined and reached a consensus on these criteria through 2 rounds of online surveys.

RESULTS

The review identified 240 ideas grouped into 17 categories, and after the consensus conference, 120 initial criteria were proposed, reduced to 54 for the Delphi technique. Finally, 23 quality criteria were agreed upon, 14 considered essential and 9 recommended, covering areas such as accessibility, efficacy, patient safety, integrated care, patient experience, and unit efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

The study provides a consensual quality standard for home hospitalization units in Spain, facilitating self-assessment, accreditation, and continuous improvement. The implementation of these criteria will help standardize home hospitalization, ensure service quality, and promote the expansion of this care model, with the Spanish Society of Home Hospitalization responsible for its dissemination and updating.