The overall goal of the Session Long Project is to examine health care delivery in the United States. Most of us in the health care industry are well acquainted with the term "accreditation." We often hear about an uncoming inspection from Joint Commission or CAP. What we don't often think of is the fact that managed care organizations also get accreditation. This is how they demonstrate their commitment to ensuring patients receive quality care. For this assignment, you are to research one of two agencies that accredit managed care organizations: National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) or Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare, Inc. Once you have researched these organizations, please respond to the following questions.

Discuss the purpose of accreditation. Has the process of accreditation really improved the quality of care being provided to patients?
Identify and discuss the process of accreditation for the chosen agency.
Discuss some of the standards they look for when they go on-site. Are the standards rigorous or vague?
Do these agencies make the results of their surveys public? How could knowing this information be benefical to patients?