Unannounced versus announced hospital surveys: a nationwide cluster-randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of unannounced versus announced surveys in detecting non-compliance with accreditation standards in public hospitals.

Design

A nationwide cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Setting and participants

All public hospitals in Denmark were invited. Twenty-three hospitals (77%) (3 university hospitals, 5 psychiatric hospitals and 15 general hospitals) agreed to participate.

Intervention

Twelve hospitals were randomized to receive unannounced surveys (intervention group) and eleven hospitals to receive announced surveys (control group). We hypothesized that the hospitals receiving the unannounced surveys would reveal a higher degree of non-compliance with accreditation standards than the hospitals receiving announced surveys.

SUBMITTER: Ehlers LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5890868 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature