ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how to get the best out of people and the system, and working outwards. Healthcare consists of a series of personal interactions between those receiving the care and those delivering it. There are great advantages in fully engaging and involving patients in the pursuit of their own safety and in ensuring they get the best care. There has been emphasis on educating doctors or nurses in safety, quality and ethics in the past. Any activity aimed at the abatement of risk may be called regulation. Regulation optimizes the interactions between patients and healthcare professionals, either directly or through measures to ensure that infrastructure and technology are adequate for the interactions to occur safely and effectively. Meta-regulation is the process by which an external agency ensures that self-regulation is effectively carried out and that basic standards with respect to structure, process and outcome are adhered by an organization or facility. Credentialling and accreditation are examples of meta-regulation.
