Quality Improvement in the Health Care Organization Accreditation

The mandate for improving the way in which health care is delivered was stimulated by the public outcry over the estimated 98,000 deaths because of medical errors each year, according to the Institute of Medicine in 1999. Since then, health care organizations have sought means by which the public can be reassured that they were meeting quality and safety standards. Accreditation agencies (such as JCAHO) and quality awards (such as the Consumer Choice Award, Reuters 100 Top Hospitals, HealthGrades, National Committee for Quality Assurance, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Magnet Status, and other memberships) provide a means for the public to evaluate where the agency is meeting minimum standards.

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