Accreditation in European Health Care

Accreditation programs are being set up more frequently in Europe than anywhere else; the trend is from voluntary, confidential, and self-financed organizational development toward benign but transparent regulation of stakeholders, governmental support, and public funding. Programs vary widely, yet patient and staff mobility, cross-border purchasing, freedom of trade, and protection of public safety and patients' rights imply the need for a common approach to definition, assessment, and improvement of standards in health care.