title: Implementing a system to evaluate quality assurance in rehabilitation in Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of a widely accepted quality assurance tool is an essential procedure of effective and result-oriented quality management in the rehabilitation sector, and generally in health care and social services, but is still lacking in Greece.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to explore to what extent a Quality Assurance System in Rehabilitation (QASR) in the Greek setting could respond to the needs for quality evaluation of the facilities for people with a disability and to discuss possibilities of its use in rehabilitation organizations, sites and hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The European Quality in Social Services (EQUASS) Assurance self-assessment questionnaire was officially translated and used as the basis for the new tool, which consisted of 110 questions in 11 sections on development and 6 questions on its evaluation. This tool was tested in 15 specialized centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study received a high (93.75%) response rate. Overall score ranged from 11% to one perfect 100%; 53.3% of the facilities fell short of the preset qualification standards, while 4 (26.7%) were qualified for level-1 accreditation. Evaluation of the QASR questionnaire for the function of the rehabilitation facilities for the disabled was extremely positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EQUASS assurance-based Greek QASR has received proper attention in its first implementation and it was shown promising to assess the needs of sites that would like to improve their services. The next steps are to establish its validity and reliability so that it can significantly emerge as the standard system for guiding policy in the rehabilitation sector in Greece.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Thrakis 11, Keratsini 18756, Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address: v@dimitriadis.biz.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Thrakis 11, Keratsini 18756, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonis A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kousoulis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Markos N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sgantzos
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics-Traumatology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadjipaulou
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Thrakis 11, Keratsini 18756, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lionis
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006115:Greece; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Disability; Greece; Health care; Quality; Rehabilitation