DS CEN/TR 15592:2007

Health services - Quality management systems - Guide for the use of EN ISO 9004:2000 in health services for performance improvement

Scope

This International Standard provides guidelines beyond the requirements given in ISO 9001 in order to consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of a quality management system, and consequently the potential for improvement of the performance of an organization. When compared to ISO 9001, the objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization.
This International Standard is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization. The focus of this International Standard is the achievement of ongoing improvement, measured through the satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.
This International Standard consists of guidance and recommendations and is not intended for certification, regulatory or contractual use, nor as a guide to the implementation of ISO 9001.
This Technical Report provides assistance on how the EN ISO 9004:2000 guidelines may be applied to health services, without prescribing the activities that need to be done by the health service provider; the latter should use its own professional knowledge and/or follow guidelines and protocols established by relevant professional bodies.
Even though EN ISO 9004:2000 promotes a better understanding of the EN ISO 9001:2000 requirements, its scope goes further than that. It is a technical document for managers and process owners to monitor and improve organisation performance, minimise risks, reduce costs, satisfy customers and improve competitiveness.
To fulfil the requirements of processes that have impact on patient safety this Technical Report provides an approach for improvement of risk management in the organisation.
An important value of EN ISO 9004:2000 is that it can be used for self-assessment (see Annex A) comparing the performance of the organisation with the 290 in