ISO 9001:2000 as a Healthcare Quality Management System

When pursuing ISO 9001:2000 as the healthcare quality management system, step five in the process involves developing a quality policy. Below is an example of one quality policy developed by an Ohio hospital that pursued ISO 9001:2000 as a means of improving patient quality and over all hospital quality.

Sample Quality Policy

We will strive to be the leading provider of healthcare services in Southern Ohio. We will accomplish this through

• Consistent compliance with all imposed requirements;

• Our focus on Patient Safety and Satisfaction; and

• Continual improvement of our products, services, and processes.

Why ISO 9001:2000 certification for healthcare? What are the benefits of ISO 9001:2000 for healthcare organizations? Why did one hospital pursue certification to ISO 9001:2000? Are there many hospitals certified for the ISO 9001:2000 standard? Are employees and physicians involved with the hospital certification process? How do you know if your documented healthcare processes are effective? Give an example of the significant accomplishments that a hospital achieved by pursuing the ISO 9001:2000 standard as a Healthcare Quality Management System.

Status of Quality Improvement Movement in Healthcare ISO 9001:2000 Applied as a Healthcare Quality Management Tool Process for Using ISO 9001:2000 to Develop a Healthcare Quality Improvement Plan Key ISO 9001 Improvement Objectives for Healthcare ISO 9001:2000 as a Healthcare Quality Management System Benefits of ISO 9001:2000 as the Framework for Managing All Healthcare Quality Certifications Linking ISO 9001:2000 requirements to Product/Service Quality