Comparison of external evaluation policies and regulations for quality improvement and safety of health services in Norway and  the United States

Comparison of external evaluation policies and regulations for quality improvement and safety of health services in Norway and the United States Sina Furnes Øyri, David W. Bates, Siri Wiig International Journal of Health Governance, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.- The authors compare perspectives on external evaluation of health service provision between Norway and the USA. External inspection and accreditation are examples of internationally wide-spread external evaluation methods used to assess the quality of care given to patients. Different countries have different national policy strategies and arrangements set up to do these evaluations. Although there is growing attention to the impact and effects on quality and safety from external evaluation, there is still a gap in knowledge to how structures and processes influence these outcomes. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to describe the structures and processes in external evaluation designed to promote quality improvement in Norway and the USA with attention to comparison of enablers and barriers in external evaluation systems. Data collection consisted of documentary evidence retrieved from governmental policies, and reviews of the Joint Commission (the US), international guidelines, recommendations and reports from the International Society for Quality in Health Care, and the World Health Organization, and policies and regulations related to Norwegian governmental bodies such as the Ministry ...
Source: International Journal of Health Governance - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research