Harmonising Healthcare

India’s journey towards excellence resonates with the collaborative spirit of Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organisations (CAHO) and its flagship event, CAHOCON. The consortium continues to lead the charge in advancing healthcare quality and innovation in the country…

The year 2013 marked a turning point when several visionary leaders in the healthcare domain, envisioned a consortium where healthcare organisations and professionals could work together to elevate healthcare standards across India. This dream materialised with the formation of CAHO, a non-profit organisation guided by a distinguished Governing Committee. The founding members, along with a distinguished group of patrons, laid the foundation for this revolutionary initiative.
The unwavering commitment of the CAHO patrons and their collaboration has been the bedrock of the organisation’s success. Here are the esteemed individuals who have provided invaluable direction and initiative.

Dr Vijay Agarwal: President, CAHO

Dr Lallu Joseph: Secretary General, CAHO

Dr Girdhar Gyani: Patron & Mentor, CAHO; Retd Secy General, QCI; Ex-CEO, NABH

Dr Alexander Thomas: Patron & Founder President, CAHO

What is CAHO?
The CAHO is a distinguished non-profit entity, inaugurated in 2013, with the paramount goal of championing ongoing quality enhancement in India’s accredited healthcare and diagnostic sectors. Originally established to facilitate the exchange of best practices, set benchmarks, and encourage accreditation, CAHO has since broadened its horizons to significantly elevate patient safety, clinical outcomes, and overall healthcare service satisfaction.

CAHO’s Operations
Structured around three principal divisions—Healthcare Institutions, Diagnostic Centres, and Quality Professionals—CAHO extends its outreach to a vast array of healthcare entities across India. The consortium actively partners with both institutional and industry players to devise and offer training programs aimed at improving quality, building capacity, supporting accreditation processes, and fostering research. This commitment to quality improvement is vividly illustrated through CAHO’s extensive range of programs addressing crucial areas like infection control, patient safety, quality advancement, and leadership.

CAHO’s Impact

CAHO’s remarkable achievements in enhancing India’s healthcare services stem from its unwavering dedication to quality improvement and patient safety. Through its comprehensive training programs, support for accreditation, and research initiatives, CAHO not only assists healthcare and diagnostic institutions in attaining accreditation but also fosters a culture of knowledge sharing and best practices among its members and the broader healthcare ecosystem. The consortium’s success is a testament to the selfless dedication of the healthcare community members and its collaborative efforts with industry, academic bodies, and professional organisations. CAHO invites all to partake in its journey towards establishing a unique model for knowledge dissemination and capacity enhancement in healthcare.

With an impressive portfolio of over 45 training modules, encompassing in-person, online, and self-directed learning formats, CAHO’s educational offerings are highly coveted not only in India but also in adjacent nations. To date, the organisation has trained upwards of 20,000 professionals from various healthcare sectors, including but not limited to clinicians, nurses, technicians, laboratory specialists, quality experts, engineers, and administrators. Through an array of vertical initiatives, webinars, and ongoing education series in quality and diagnostics, CAHO continuously enhances the skills of these professionals.

CAHO also plays a pivotal role in aiding healthcare facilities across India in securing accreditation, thereby fostering a culture of safety that is fundamental for delivering safer care and minimising medical errors. Beyond capacity building and training, the consortium is deeply engaged in research activities aimed at promoting the adoption and application of evidence-based practices within the healthcare realm. It actively shares research outcomes related to healthcare quality, patient safety, and healthcare management with its members and the wider healthcare community, thereby facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and best practices.

 

CAHO Events & Programs
CAHO’s influence extends through its annual events like CAHOCON, CAHOTECH, CAHOLABCON, and CAHO-SACKON, which are essential gatherings for all healthcare stakeholders. The organisation also boasts a robust international presence, notably through its ISQua-CAHO international webinars that attract approximately 1,000 registrants from 25 countries each month. The forthcoming launch of CAHO International, set for April 5th during CAHOCON 2024, marks a significant milestone in its expansion efforts. Additionally, CAHO ensures consistent engagement with its members via weekly “Friday Updates” and the monthly digital magazine “DIALOG.”

CAHOCON: The Orchestra of Knowledge Exchange
CAHOCON, CAHO’s annual conference, serves as the stage for an orchestra of knowledge exchange and collaboration. The inaugural edition, held in 2015, set the stage for a symphony of ideas. Over the years, CAHOCON has evolved into a prestigious event, attracting participation not just from across India but also from the international healthcare community.

The Symphony’s Composition: CAHOCON’s Evolution

DELHI 2015
BEST PRACTICES IN HEALTHCARE
24TH & 25TH APRIL AT LE MERIDIEN

BENGALURU 2016
QUALITY BEYOND ACCREDITATION
19TH & 20TH MARCH AT THE LALIT ASHOK

DELHI 2017
MONITOR, MEASURE & IMPROVE
14TH & 15TH APRIL AT TAJ VIVANTA

CHENNAI 2018
TIMELY INTERVENTION IS KEY TO QUALITY
6TH & 7TH APRIL At HOTEL FEATHERS

MUMBAI 2019
HEALTHCARE QUALITY SHOULD IMPACT OUTCOME
13TH & 14TH APRIL AT SAHARA STAR HOTEL

KOCHI 2022
BUILDING CULTURE OF SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE
18TH & 19TH APRIL AT GRAND HYATT

HYDERABAD 2023
LEADERSHIP IS THE KEY TO QUALITY
15TH & 16TH APRIL AT NOVOTEL CONVENTION CENTRE

KOLKATA 2024
MAKING HEALTHCARE EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE, ECONOMICAL & EQUITABLE
6TH & 7TH APRIL AT BISWA BANGLA CONVENTION CENTRE

CAHOCON’s program is a well-orchestrated composition of learning opportunities. Pre-conference workshops provide focused training on cutting-edge advancements, while plenary sessions and panel discussions bring together diverse voices to explore critical healthcare topics. Interactive laboratory demonstrations showcase best practices and ignite discussions on practical implementation.

Brief Report on CAHOCON 2024 Sessions and Speakers
The agenda for CAHOCON 2024 boasts an impressive line-up of esteemed chief guests and renowned personalities from the healthcare industry and beyond. Notable figures include Dr C.V. Ananda Bose, the Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, and Sh. S Somananth, Chairman of ISRO, who graced the inaugural session. Throughout the event, attendees had the privilege of hearing from eminent speakers such as Padma Shri Dr Mammen Chandy, Dr. Mohamed Rela, Padma Shri Dr Harsh Mahajan, and Prof. Jeffrey Braithwaite, Immediate Past President of ISQua. These distinguished guests, along with numerous other industry leaders, brought invaluable insights and expertise to the diverse range of sessions, contributing to the success and significance of CAHOCON 2024 as a premier platform for advancing healthcare knowledge and innovation.

A Model for the Developing World
The significance of CAHO and CAHOCON extends far beyond the walls of the conference hall. They showcase a unique model of healthcare improvement driven by private-sector collaboration. This self-sustaining model, funded by members and supplemented by programs, avoids dependence on any third party and allows focus on the key mission. This model also empowers private individuals and organisations to work with the public sector to take ownership of quality.

What CAHOCON promises?

• Rich experience of eight years in conducting CAHOCON, with a steady, consistent growth fuelled by repeat visits from people who have attended once.
• Backed by the most active organisation of hospitals in India that spearheads the quality drive, trains personnel, and provides certifications to healthcare workers on quality.
• 90% of attendees and members are accredited hospitals with good volume and quality focus.
• Affiliated with global healthcare organisations like ISQua and ASQua

The Ripple Effect: A Symphony of Improvement
The impact of CAHO and CAHOCON has been a melodious cascade of positive change. Healthcare institutions accredited by CAHO have significantly improved patient safety, infection control, clinical governance, and waste management. The knowledge and best practices shared at CAHOCON have trickled down to smaller hospitals and healthcare institutions, raising the bar for quality care across the nation.

The Future: A Continuous Performance
Looking towards the horizon, CAHO and CAHOCON aim to further strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem. They are incorporating emerging technologies like telemedicine and digital health into their programs, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. By focusing on capacity building and training future generations of healthcare professionals, they are paving the way for a sustainable future for quality care.
The story of CAHO and CAHOCON is a testament to the power of collective action. It’s a model that can resonate with developing economies worldwide, inspiring them to prioritise quality care and empower private healthcare providers to play a pivotal role in building robust and patient-centric healthcare systems.