Standards and Quality Improvement Processes in Health and Community Services: A Review of the Literature

摘要: This review looks at the changing face of quality activities in health care, primarily in terms of standards and accreditation programs developed by standards agencies. It discusses the development of health service standards, compares those used by different agencies and their suitability for promoting quality improvement in health care organisations. It considers the different approaches for assessing quality at an international level as well as quality approaches adopted to meet the specific demands of contemporary Australia. The review also looks to the future and attempts to predict important considerations for both standards agencies and health care organisations in their pursuit of the highest possible level of quality in the twenty-first century.