Quality improvement of paediatric care in the Netherlands
- 1Office for Quality Management, Paediatric Association of the Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 2Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Department of Social Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence to:
Professor Tom Schulpen
Paediatric Association of the Netherlands, PO Box 20059, 3502 LB Utrecht, The Netherlands; Schulpen{at}worldonline.nl
- Accepted 15 December 2006
Abstract
The development of the quality improvement programme of the Paediatric Association of the Netherlands is described within the setting of the national programme of the Dutch government. The programme is based on four pillars: site visits by peers (visitatie), continuous medical and professional education, development of clinical (evidence based) guidelines and patient safety with complication registration. The site visits by peers play a central role in assessing the quality improvement activities in hospital based paediatric care. The self assessment approach and the confidential character of the visits are well received by the surveyed specialists. Recent inclusion of quality criteria in the legally required 5 yearly medical specialist recertification process has boosted the care for quality, which could serve as example for other countries.
Footnotes
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We have not in the past 5 years accepted fees, reimbursements or funds from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the results of our study or the conclusions of any review, editorial, or letter.
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Competing interests: None.
