title: Introducing health facility accreditation in Liberia.
abstract: In recent years, dozens of countries have introduced accreditation and other quality improvement initiatives. A great deal of information is available regarding best practices in high- and middle-income countries; however, little is available to guide developing nations seeking to introduce an accreditation programme. This paper describes the outputs and lessons learned in the first year of establishing an accreditation programme in Liberia, a developing nation in West Africa that in 2003 emerged from a brutal 14-year civil war. The Liberian experience of developing and implementing a government-sponsored, widespread accreditation programme may provide insight to other low-income and post-conflict countries seeking a way to drive rapid, system-wide reform in the health system, even with limited infrastructure and extremely challenging conditions.
authors.affiliation: Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.forename: Bernice T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Dahn
authors.forename: Teta M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safer
authors.forename: Mae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podesta
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D003906:Developing Countries; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007988:Liberia; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*