A reflection on the number of standards and objective elements in NABH standards for hospitals

I was introduced to NABH standards when the 2^nd edition was in place and little did I know about how the standards evolve. It is now when the 3^rd edition is coming into effect that I had a chance to look back.

The NABH 1^st edition had 10 chapters with 100 standards and 503 objective elements. With its revision, NABH 2^nd edition came in with an equal number of chapters and standards but the number of objective elements increased to 514. I think there was a learning curve involved for the technical committee here that is why the quantum of increase was relatively less. However, I had noticed a change in the sequence of the chapters.

The 3^rd edition of NABH standards for hospitals, the latest one in the series, has come out with 10 chapters, 102 standards and 636 objective elements. On the face of it, the standards increased by 2 and the objective elements increased by 122. But when I undertook a deeper analysis, I found that some standards and many objective elements from the 2^nd edition have been removed. Due to this, the actual new addition of standards is 9 and 173 new objective elements find their way in NABH 3^rd edition for hospitals.

You can find elaborate standard-by-standard analysis of new vs. old objective elements in my earlier blog ‘New added objective elements in NABH 3rd Edition (Revised)’.

The years of learning and feedback from assessors and stakeholders has ensured that the standards have evolved, become sharper and clearer and holistic in nature. The latest edition has new requirements which require a fresh approach to address them. We’ll use this forum to discuss these new requirements and ways and means to comply with the latest edition. Keep checking this space.