A WiFi network for all patients of the county hospital was launched on 11 December this year. “Our primary concern is to raise the standard and quality of services at our healthcare facility,” Adam Zdaniuk, director of the ZOZ, said in an interview with “ii” Adam Zdaniuk. Free Internet is already available in all wards and waiting rooms.
Although the hospital’s WiFi network has only been operating for a short time, the management of the county healthcare facility is already receiving reports that more and more patients are using the Internet. “If I were hospitalised, I would feel better myself knowing that I could surf the web,” the director admits. “This is particularly important in the children’s ward.”
Patients can now visit social networking sites, use online messaging services and check their email at the hospital. All without leaving their beds. This is a major convenience, especially for those who have undergone surgery and need to spend a great deal of time lying down.
However, as Adam Zdaniuk emphasises, WiFi is only a small part of what the hospital must do to obtain accreditation from the Centre for Quality Monitoring. “Communication with patients is one of many accreditation requirements,” the head of the hospital states. “The preparation process means that many aspects of our operations are being improved: from medical records, through services, patient and staff safety, to conveniences such as the aforementioned Internet access.
In 2009, the ZOZ obtained the international PN-EN ISO 9001 standard, certified by the independent certification body Tuv Nord Polska Sp. z o.o. “The difference is that ISO certification can be obtained by various institutions, whereas accreditation from the Centre for Quality Monitoring is granted only to healthcare facilities,” the director explains. Of several hundred Polish healthcare facilities, just over a hundred can boast such accreditation. According to Adam Zdaniuk, it is mainly obtained by clinics and regional hospitals.
Obtaining accreditation is not mandatory, but in the future the National Health Fund is expected to conclude contracts first with accredited hospitals. What is more, in contracts with the NFZ, accreditation will give the Bolesławiec healthcare facility twice as many points at the outset as the number of points the ZOZ receives for ISO.
The entire accreditation process must be completed by April 2014. “Even if we do not obtain accreditation on our first attempt, all our efforts will still benefit patients,” the director concludes.
We will return to this subject.
(information: ii)