Guidance on developing quality and safety strategies with a health system approach

Quality and safety have been recognized as key issues in establishing and delivering accessible, effective and responsive health systems. The regionally shaped guidance document covers the development of national quality and safety strategies suited to local circumstances (from formulation to continual review and renewal in successive phases). The five chapters:

1. explain how a quality strategy can contribute to meeting challenges faced by health services/ health systems;
2. set a common background for quality principles and perspectives (patient, professional, management quality);
3. consider five types of national strategies showing choices about legislation, measurement, action programmes and improvement policies;
4. provide practical steps on how to develop a strategy for different situations, and
5. show how a quality and safety strategy strengthens health systems.