Licensure accreditation and certification: approaches to health services quality.

With the onset of quality movement in the health care sector a growing interest in the quality evaluation of health services has been noted. Licensure accreditation and certification are systems available to meet the need for quality and performance information. These systems have different purposes and different capabilities. However selecting the right system or combination of systems requires careful analysis of user needs and expectations. In view of the above this monograph provides assistance to decision-makers in analyzing various approaches to health services quality evaluation and management. It has five chapters. Chapter I is the introduction and Chapter II guides the reader through the steps in assessing the needs for quality evaluation. Chapters III and IV provide a description of the various approaches appropriate for meeting the identified needs including the strengths and weaknesses of a standards approach and an outcome measurement approach. Particular emphasis is placed on licensure accreditation and certification strategies. Finally Chapter V reviews the factors that decision makers should consider in the design and implementation of the quality study illustration describing the development and implementation of the quality evaluation approach that they select. Appendices include a case study illustration describing the development and implementation of a hospital accreditation program in Zambia and a comparison of health sector accreditation programs around the world.