Quality in healthcare system in Greece-Proposal for operation of a National Body to ensure the quality of the provided healthcare services-National Agenda for patient safety in Greece

ABSTRACT

The need to provide high quality health services with the available material and human resources, combined with simultaneous patient safety, is a major concern of countries worldwide, culminating in the Tokyo Declaration of Patient Safety in 2018.

In Greece, an effort is being made to establish a National Agency for Quality Assurance of Health Services, which will be staffed by a team of scientists of various specialties and will take action in all areas of clinical governance through the implementation of clinical control, continuing education and development, the establishment of national quality assessment indicators, the implementation of clinical protocols and guidelines, the certification of health care providers, through implementation of total quality management in these areas.

However, a primary indicator of the quality of health services provided is patient safety, which is a major asset. It depends on various factors and is ensured by actions related to many areas including staffing, infrastructure and equipment, continuous certified staff training, implementation of procedures for recording and documenting ongoing processes, the existence and implementation of both treatment protocols and patient safety, internal audits, user evaluation.

Keywords: Patient safety, quality, outcome indicators, National Quality Agency, assurance, Tokyo Declaration