Impact of accreditation systems upon patient care

Abstract

Accreditation in health care is a method of reviewing the quality of the organization of health care, using external surveyors and published standards. It is frequently contrasted with internal review processes in which the members of an organization develop their own methods and standards to assess quality. There is little evidence to demonstrate which, if either, of these forms of review has an impact on clinical outcomes and patient care. This paper examines the management philosophies and assumptions which are used to justify the value of accreditation, and the arguments about the relationships between structure, process and outcome, which underpin accreditation.

Citation

Scrivens, E. (1997), "Impact of accreditation systems upon patient care", Journal of Clinical Effectiveness, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 102-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb043372