QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN POLAND’S HEALTHCARE STRUCTURE

Providing medical services is a special activity in medicine as it occurs in a particular market – which the medical sector is – and possesses an exceptional goal, that being the preservation of human life. The specificity of this sector results from the fact that it compels correct and disciplined procedures since mistakes, or lack of competence by medical personnel are not allowed where rescuing human life is concerned. Legal regulation advances appropriate standards which should ensure proper service levels for the widest group of patients. In practice, these regulations help in identifying patient expectations and make possible efficient implementation of said standards. An example of such quality standards mechanisms is the ISO as developed by the International Organization for Standardization. Accreditation requirements are also developed by the Center for Monitoring Healthcare Quality (unofficial translation). The intention of the article is to define the meaning of healthcare quality and its management thereof from the perspective of current regulations and predominant trends in Poland'smedical service market. Additionally, examined are the normalization of quality standards of Poland's healthcare and the directions of efforts by healthcare institutions.