HIGHLIGHTS
The issue of quality of care covers a wide range of elements: the choice of the most appropriate technologies and treatments for the patient, the efficacy of care, an environment that guarantees patient safety, patient satisfaction, the integrated nature of interventions for better continuity... To act on these different levels, various initiatives are taken by different federal authorities (FPS Public Health, but also INAMI/RIZIV, KCE, Sciensano, Superior Health Council, etc.) or at the level of federated entities (VIP² on the Dutch-speaking side, PAQS on the French-speaking side, etc.), or even within the framework of private initiatives (scientific associations, accreditation bodies, etc.), but also international (OECD, EU, WHO, etc.). These initiatives take various forms: from the development of guidelines to awareness-raising campaigns, laying down measurement indicators and taking measures in the field, benchmarking, peer reviews and financial incentives.
This chapter highlights, by way of example, a number of initiatives that have been taken in recent years to measure and improve the quality of healthcare in Belgium. Other initiatives could also be mentioned in the context of clinical pharmacy in hospitals, newborn care, the use of blood products, the use of psychotropic drugs, transmural care and integrated care, etc.