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Quality assessment and assurance in hospitals of developing countries
Author(s) -
Eldar R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
public administration and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1099-162X
pISSN - 0271-2075
DOI - 10.1002/pad.4230050103
Subject(s) - developing country , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , quality assurance , developed country , government (linguistics) , quality (philosophy) , business , health care , process (computing) , economic growth , medicine , environmental health , economics , marketing , population , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , service (business) , operating system
Quality assessment and assurance programmes ‐ although widespread in many industrialized countries, particularly in the United States, and achieving their objectives of improving the quality of care ‐ have not been introduced into hospitals of developing countries. The paper discusses the factors that might have impeded the introduction of such programmes into these hospitals. The structure, process and outcomes of health care in developing countries are compared with those of developed countries. The attitudes of government agencies are analysed. The difficulties in the applicability of the criteria, standards and techniques ‐ designed in developed countries ‐ to the conditions existing in the hospitals of developing areas, and the reluctance of governing agencies of these hospitals to provide initiative because of anticipation of consequently increased expenditure, are considered to be the two main impeding factors. The paper further argues the need to promote such programmes in these hospitals and suggests guidelines for their development and implementation in terms of general principles, criteria for the assessment of hospital care, and standards appropriate to local conditions.