Assuring Quality: The Debate Over Private Accreditation and Public Certification of Health Care Facilities

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Historically, public authorities have relied on private, provider-run accrediting organizations, such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, to set standards for care and to determine compliance with those standards. This article explores both the practical and the legal significance of private accrediLation and the related issue of government certification of public facilities.

By Claudia Schlosberg and Shelley Jackson From November 1996