title: [Accreditation. Priority and challenge].
abstract: This article aims at rousing the discussion of a subject in which Portugal does not have a definitive position and on which the doctors' contribution, although fundamental, is not yet defined. The concept and evolution of accreditation, its advantages and inconveniences, the method (standards, accreditation body and process) and experience of some countries are reviewed according to recent bibliography.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Promoção e Garantia da Qualidade, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Imperatori
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D011174:Portugal