The accreditation status of student health services at academic medical centers.

BACKGROUND

Student health services (SHSs) on campuses with academic medical centers (AMCs; schools affiliated with teaching hospitals) often provide clinical services (including occupational health services) for students and staff. There are few aggregate data about the accreditation status of these health services.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey of SHSs at the 124 medical schools in the United States was conducted in spring 1999. SHSs were questioned about their accreditation status.

RESULTS

One-hundred three SHSs were included in the survey. Forty-seven (46%) of the SHSs were accredited, 30 (64%) through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and the remainder through the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). The Joint Commission predominated among private SHSs (13/15 [87%]), but public institutions were more evenly divided. Most of the SHSs accredited as freestanding ambulatory care centers were AAAHC accredited (16/27 [59%]). Nearly all the SHSs accredited as satellites of the AMCs were Joint Commission accredited.

CONCLUSION

Although fewer than one-half of SHSs at AMCs are accredited either through the Joint Commission or AAAHC, this is a far higher percentage than of accredited SHSs in general (134/1,500 [9%]). The Joint Commission dominates as the accrediting body for SHSs at AMCs largely because of the high-proportion of services accredited as satellites of the AMCs. Although the accreditation process is costly and time-consuming and may appear daunting, SHSs at AMCs should pursue accreditation to ensure quality in health care processes.