Full NABH Dental Accreditation
NABH Dental Accreditation standards are essentially curated for dental hospitals, teaching institutes as well as clinics with one or multiple dental chairs. According to these standards, these facilities should demonstrate high quality practices across all areas including patient safety, infection control, sterilisation, treatment protocols, documentation as well as high professional conduct. This shall build unwavering trust amongst the patients and certainly boost the clinic’s reputation within the community at large!
Advantages of the NABH Dental Accreditation
Your dental facility shall be eligible for empanelment with the Government schemes like Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) as well as Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
The NABH accredited dental facility shall also become eligible to empanel with various insurance companies that shall eventually benefit their patients for availing the cashless services. Hence increasing patient footfall. ( You may refer the circular from IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India) regulation dated 29th July 2016 sited on the NABH website: https://nabh.co/Announcement/IRDA.pdf
NABH Dental accreditation standards help the dental facilities to improve the quality of patient care and this shall eventually develop trust among the community
Nabh dental accreditation standards – 3rd edition (April 2023)
Dental facilities too have various categories, they may be a dental college or a fully fledged large dental hospital or a small dental facility with either one or multiple chairs! Thus, to address such varying needs, NABH Dental Accreditation standards have been meticulously divided in two detailed sections
Section A: This section covers the dental hospitals or large dental institutions and medical colleges that provide comprehensive dental treatment services. It includes:
10 Chapters
83 Standards
466 Objective Elements
Section B: This section is designed for dental clinics ranging from 1-15 chairs and is curated specially for the smaller practices. It includes:
10 Chapters
60 Standards
416 Objective Elements
These OEs are divided into four implementation sections:
Core: are mandatory to be implemented for the first-time NABH application and then continued subsequently during all assessments
Commitment: are also mandatory to be implemented for the first-time NABH application and then to be continued subsequently during all assessments
Achievement: implemented at the surveillance NABH assessment.
Excellence: implemented at the renewal NABH assessment.
NABH Chapters are divided into the following categories:
Patient Centric Standards
Chapter 1 – Access, Assessment & Continuity of Care (AAC)
Chapter 2 – Care of Patients (COP)
Chapter 3 – Management of Medication (MOM)
Chapter 4 – Patient Rights & Education (PRE)
Chapter 5 – Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
Organisation Centric Standards
Chapter 6 – Patient Safety & Quality Improvement (PSQ)
Chapter 7 – Responsibility of Management (ROM)
Chapter 8 – Facility Management & Safety (FMS)
Chapter 9 – Human Resource Management (HRM)
Chapter 10 – Information Management System (IMS)
A copy of the NABH standards can be obtained from the NABH website:
https://nabh.co/explore-nabh-standards/
For the Fee structure, kindly visit the NABH website:
https://nabh.co/programmes/dental-healthcare-service-providers-accreditation-programme/
Eligibility criteria
Dental Facilities that are associated with hospitals, those with or without inpatient beds, and Dental Teaching Institutions (Colleges/Hospitals).
Dental Clinics and Centres with up to 15 dental chairs.
The organisation must comply with all applicable legal, statutory, and regulatory requirements set by the government and local bodies.
Dental clinics and healthcare facilities must be operational at least 6 months and should have been following NABH Dental accreditation standards for at least 3 months before applying for the NABH process
Process for full NABH accreditation
The entire duration of Full NABH Accreditation can range from approximately 18 – 24 months depending upon the hospital’s readiness. But with the right NABH Consultants like Medigence guiding the hospitals, the accreditation can very well be achieved within 10-14 months’ time.
Self assessment by Hospital Team
Once the organization procures the NABH standards, the hospital team conducts a self-assessment either by themselves or with the help of qualified NABH Consultant who can help interpret the NABH Standards and guide them for the implementation. If the hospital complies with more than 80% of the NABH standards, they can proceed to start the NABH application process.
Start the Application Form
Start the registration process by accurately filling in the necessary details of the hospital to begin the application form. Our NABH Consultants at Medigence shall guide you during each step of filling the application form.
Submit the Application Form
Complete the application within 30 days after uploading all required documents, such as policies, licenses, indicators, MOUs, and staff details.
Submit the Self-Assessment Toolkit
The hospital then completes the Self-Assessment Toolkit and submits it on the NABH portal. Only the right NABH consulting firm can help the hospitals implement the NABH standards in the correct manner while providing practical solutions for each objective element.
Pay Application Fees
After completing the application form, the hospital will be required to pay the application fees. The fee amount varies according to the hospital's sanctioned bed capacity. For more information about the fees, please visit https://nabh.co/accreditations-certifications-and-empanelments/
Desktop Review
Once the application fees are paid, NABH will assign a Desktop Assessor. The assessor will review the completed application form and the submitted documents.
Submit Desktop Assessment Non-Compliance (NCs)
During the desktop review phase, the hospital shall have only one opportunity to close any Non-Compliances (NCs) raised. All NCs must be closed and submitted within 15 days. If any NCs remain open after this period, they will be reviewed again and must be cleared during the on-site assessment. The same remains at the discretion of NABH. As your NABH consultant, Medigence shall guide and assist the hospital in submitting the correct documents and evidence for any non-compliances received.
Pay the Annual Fees
After the successful desktop review, the hospital shall be prompted to pay the annual fees. Only after the fees are paid the on-site assessment dates will be allocated.
Select the Type of Assessment
There are two options for selecting the assessment type: Select either a Pre-Assessment or the Final Assessment. However, with the help of the right NABH Consulting firm like Medigence guiding, the hospital can directly opt for the Final assessment.
Get the Assessment Dates
The assessment dates will be allocated, and the details of the allocated assessor(s) will be provided via email.
Onsite Assessment
A team of assessors, sized according to the hospital's sanctioned bed capacity, will conduct the on-site assessment. They will audit the hospital against NABH standards, check statutory documents, and raise any non-conformities (NCs). Our team at Medigence as your NABH Consultant shall guide and prepare you fully before the onsite assessment. This will ensure that you go through the process of assessment very smoothly.
Submit the Assessment NC Cycle 1
The hospital is given 60 days to complete the first cycle of NC corrections and submit the evidence on the portal. Our NABH Consultant will assist your hospital in submitting the required evidence along with the comprehensive corrective and preventive actions report (CAPA) as required by NABH assessors.
Submit the Assessment NC Cycle 2
For further clarification if needed, the assessor may raise NCs in a second cycle. The hospital must submit the NC replies on the portal within 30 days. After the submission of the second cycle NCs, the assessor will review the responses and submit the final hospital report to the NABH Accreditation Committee.
Accreditation Committee Review
The Accreditation Committee reviews the complete documentation, including the assessor's report and all NC closure responses. If necessary, they may ask for additional documents. NABH Consultant at Medigence shall assist you to furnish and submit the required documents. After their final review, NABH shall submit their remarks on the portal.
Once all documents are reviewed and approved by the committee, NABH accreditation is officially granted. The accreditation is valid for 4 years.
Surveillance
In order to ensure that the hospital is maintaining the standards and implementing them, surveillance assessment is planned every 21-24 months after the accreditation is granted. As your preferred NABH Consulting firm, Medigence offers a Continuous Quality Assurance program (CQAS) that helps the hospitals to maintain the quality systems even after the accreditation is completed and ensures that your hospital is 24x7 ready for NABH assessment.
Renewal of accreditation
Renewal happens after 4 years of your first accreditation. The hospital has to apply 6 months before the expiry of the accreditation in order to maintain the same.
Why You Should Select the Medigence as Your NABH Consultant
Choosing the right NABH consultant is the crucial first step towards your accreditation goal as well as maintaining quality standards. We don’t just help you tick boxes; we transform your operations.
1. Unmatched experience
At Medigence, we have a collective of 40+ years of experience that help you navigate the complex accreditation standards. We have a proven track record of guiding and successfully assisting over 200+ hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities which also include Dental facilities, toward successful NABH accreditation. More importantly, every NABH consultant at Medigence who guides your hospital has appropriate experience of direct NABH implementation that ensures you are guided by seasoned experts and not just trainees.
2. End-to-End Empowerment
At Medigence our NABH Consultants offer a holistic 360 degree guidance and assistance that ensures a complete compliance loop: Starting from documenting your SOPs and policies, systematic training, proactive audits, and continuous compliance checks for a smooth, stress-free accreditation experience.
3. Customisation of Forms, Formats, checklists, registers and SOPs Templates
You must understand that your hospital is unique and thus the associated structure and implementation strategy should also be unique
- We provide policies, registers, and medical records according to the hospital’s setup, not a generalised format.
- We conduct department audits very comprehensively taking into account the minutest observations.
4. Ensuring Regulatory & Statutory compliances
5. Maximum Time & Cost Efficiency
Believing that Time is your most valuable asset, our NABH Consultant makes sure that you receive NABH accreditation faster than navigating the process alone. We have completed full NABH projects within 6-month timelines, which are rarely done by any other consultants. We also strive to guide you to avoid unnecessary delays and the financial burdens associated with repeat or failed assessments.
6. Certified Staff Training & Culture
We invest in your most valuable asset: your people.
- We conduct engaging, practical training for doctors, nurses, and all hospital staff, incorporating the latest guidelines.
- We provide Certified Training courses from time to time on NABH standards, ensuring staff confidence and competence.
- We help you embed a sustainable, patient-centric culture of quality throughout your organisation.
7. Conducting Mock Assessments
Walk into your final assessment with absolute confidence.
We conduct intensive and realistic Mock Audits that mirror the actual NABH process. Real world scenarios are presented in front of your staff so that they are confident to face the final assessment.
8. We Stay with You - Sustaining your quality journey!
As a part of our Continuous Quality Assurance System (CQAS) once you achieve NABH accreditation, our NABH Consultant can immediately transition into a CQAS partnership through a separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This provides a robust, long-term framework for ongoing compliance.
- During the CQAS partnership, we ensure our NABH Consultant visits on a regular basis mutually agreed upon and guide the hospitals to prepare data like quality indicators, continuously training the staff, updating of the SOPs, and new medical record implementations.
- This ensures that the hospital is 24×7 ready for NABH assessments and also strengthens the culture of quality in the organization.
Our success journey
Sprash Dental Clinic, Ahmadabad
When the Sprash dental clinic approached us for their first NABH accreditation, they were completely new to the process and overwhelmed by the official requirements. Their biggest worry was staff confidence and getting all the complicated documents right. Medigence took charge by creating a simple, step-by-step implementation plan. We provided a full set of ready-to-use policies and records and conducted focused, practical staff training. After our final mock assessment, the clinic felt completely prepared. They achieved their NABH certification in 8 months with minimal issues, proving that the accreditation journey doesn’t have to be stressful when you have the right expert guidance.
Jardosh Dental Clinic, Ahmadabad
Tapan Jardosh Clinic, a small practice equipped with two dental chairs and a dedicated team of only three staff members and qualified consultants, sought NABH accreditation but struggled primarily with poor documentation, despite having good infrastructure. Medigence provided a complete solution: we fixed their paperwork issues by implementing digital medical records and standardized procedures for the proper storage of materials. Furthermore, we ensured patient safety by delivering targeted staff training on how to handle emergencies and provided clear guidance for the essential calibration and maintenance of their equipment. Most importantly, Tapan Jardosh Clinic entrusted Medigence to be their continuous quality partner, successfully guiding them through their first assessment, the subsequent surveillance audit, and their final renewal, proving that our support ensures high standards are maintained throughout the entire accreditation lifecycle.