Accreditation of occupational health services in Norway.
BACKGROUND
In 2010, an accreditation system for occupational health services (OHS) in Norway was implemented.


OBJECTIVE
To examine OHS experiences of the accreditation system in Norway 4 years after its implementation.


METHODS
A web-based questionnaire was sent to all accredited OHS asking about their experiences with the accreditation system. Responses were compared with a similar survey conducted in 2011.


RESULTS
The response rate was 76% (173/228). OHS reported that the most common changes they had had to make to achieve accreditation were: improvement of their quality assurance system (53%), a plan for competence development (44%) and increased staffing in occupational hygiene (36%) and occupational medicine (28%). The OHS attributed improved quality in their own OHS (56%) and in OHS in Norway (47%), to the accreditation process.


CONCLUSIONS
The accreditation system was well accepted by OHS, who reported that it had improved the quality of their OHS and of OHS in Norway. The results are similar to the findings of a 2011 survey.
Secretariat for Occupational Health Services, National Institute of Occupational Health, N-0033 Oslo, Norway. arve.lie@stami.no.
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Lie
Secretariat for Occupational Health Services, National Institute of Occupational Health, N-0033 Oslo, Norway.
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Bjørnstad
D000068:Accreditation; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Accreditation; Norway; occupational health service; quality; survey.