Developing and implementing quality standards for memory services: The Memory Services National Accreditation Programme (MSNAP)

Background: The lack of a consistent model means that the quality and characteristics of memory services can vary greatly. Quality standards have been successfully applied in a range of healthcare settings which allow services to implement improvements where necessary. A nationally agreed set of quality standards would help fulfil this need for UK memory services. Objectives: To develop a set of standards for memory services to form the basis of a quality improvement initiative (Memory Services National Accreditation Programme [MSNAP]). Method: The standards development process involved five main elements: Literature review/content analysis; key stakeholder workshop; email and postal consultation; consensus meeting; and final consultation/obtaining endorsements. Thirteen memory services in the northwest of England participated in the pilot programme, during which the draft set of quality standards were applied through the processes of self review and peer review. Results: The finalised version consisted of 148 quality standards categorised along the following domains: management; resources available to support assessment and diagnosis; assessment and diagnosis; and ongoing care management and follow-up. The pilot stage highlighted standards representing common areas where improvements had been made, such as ascertaining whether the patient wished to know their diagnosis, and areas where more attention was still required, for example surveying referrers, patients and carers about their experiences of the service. Conclusion: It was possible to develop and field test nationally agreed quality standards for memory services. We believe that by implementing MSNAP it will be possible to improve the quality of UK memory services.