| Abstract: | The Netherlands Institute for Accreditation of Hospitals (NIAZ) was established at the end of 1998. It was founded by the
PACE foundation, the Society of University Hospitals, the Netherlands Association of General Hospitals and the Society of
Medical Specialists in the Netherlands. Since then in the Netherlands 19 pilot accreditations have been performed based upon
35 NIAZ-PACE standards for hospital departments and functions, and the overall standard 'quality system'. The aims and methods
of the accreditation system were inspired by examples from the other side of the Atlantic, especially from Canada. The characteristics
are: voluntary-based, self-evaluation, peer-review and aiming at continuous improvement of quality of care.
Received: 15 April 2000 · Accepted: 15 April 2000 |
