Quality management of medical specialist care in the Netherlands : an explorative study of its nature and development

The author of this study was employed as a scientific staff member at CBO, the Dutch National Organisation for Quality Assurance in Hospitals, to support peer review committees of medical specialists in hospitals.

Abstract

In January 1985, the author of this study was employed as a scientific staff member\\nat CBO, the Dutch National Organisation for Quality Assurance in Hospitals. His\\nmain job was to support peer review committees of medical specialists in hospitals.\\nThe task proved to be challenging and was broadened to an active involvement in\\nthe consensus development programme run by CBO\\'S scientific council. Both peer\\nreview and guideline development through consensus conferences turned out to be far\\nmore complex activities than might be expected at first sight. Hence over the years the\\nambition emerged to study these phenomena more thoroughly. From the beginning it\\nwas clear that peer review and guideline development are only two of the various\\nsystematic activities the medical profession has developed to manage the quality of\\nspecialist care. This study is rooted in the curiosity to understand these activities and\\nin its essence the study tries to provide an answer to two questions:\\n\\xe2\\x80\\xa2 What is quality management of medical specialist care?\\n\\xe2\\x80\\xa2 How does it develop?