title: Regulating to ensure patient safety in hospitals: towards a comprehensive framework.
abstract: This article critically examines the successes and failures of the current internal and external regulatory regimes for ensuring the delivery of patient safety in public hospitals. It argues that governments should develop a holistic approach to regulation through the enhancement of existing compliance mechanisms in conjunction with some formal regulation to ensure that public hospital systems-deliver high standards of service with minimal patient harm. It recommends that a Patient Safety Authority be established in order to assist with the monitoring of incidents and the enforcement of compliance with patient safety standards.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Clayton, Vic 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macleod
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McSherry
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D001315:Australia; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D033161:Government Regulation; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000592:standards; D012308:Risk Management; D017751:Safety Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014342:Truth Disclosure