Final answer:
The term 'accreditation' refers to the periodic verification that a healthcare provider or facility meets professional standards, involving evaluations against set regulatory standards to ensure patient safety and quality care.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes the periodic verification that a provider or facility meets professional standards is accreditation. Accreditation is a formal process of evaluation and validation in which an institution, facility, or agency is measured against predefined standards set by a regulatory body.
In healthcare, accreditation agencies conduct assessments to ensure that healthcare providers and facilities comply with national safety and quality healthcare standards. For instance, protocols for cleaning or sterilizing medical equipment are often set by agencies like the FDA, with global standard protocols established by organizations like the AOAC.