An international systems-theoretic comparison of hospital accreditation: developing an implementation typology.

Objective: The integration of quality indicators into the accreditation process has been recognized as a promising strategy worldwide. This study was to explore the implementation patterns of hospital accreditation through the lens of a systems-theory based model, and determine an international accreditation implementation typology.

Design: A qualitative comparative study of five established international hospital accreditation systems was undertaken based on a systems-theoretic holistic healthcare systems relationship model.