摘要：Quality assurance has become the required precondition for successful provision of healthcare services due to the increasing needs and expectations of all interested parties. The Croatian healthcare system seeks to enhance the quality of healthcare services by introducing the mandatory system of quality standards, the accreditation process of health institutions and voluntary certifi ed quality management systems ISO 9001:2008. This paper attempts to address the issue of knowledge about the importance of quality management in healthcare, whether the management of medical institutions is aware of the issue of quality assessment and the impact of certifi ed quality management system implementation on patients’ satisfaction level at different levels of the healthcare system. Results of the survey carried out on a sample of Croatian healthcare institutions at primary, secondary and tertiary levels indicate that there is insuffi cient knowledge and implementation of the quality management system in the healthcare system. Moreover, they point to the necessity of change in behaviour and of raising awareness about the importance of implementing quality management systems, as well as the necessity of increased education on the issue of quality aimed at the management and healthcare workforce.
关键词：quality management system; ISO 9001:2008; healthcare system; patient satisfaction
