Implementing accreditation systems (23 May 1994, Treviso, Italy).

Representatives of seventeen existing and developing national accreditation systems for health services met in Treviso, Italy, in May 1994. The purpose was to identify common characteristics, challenges and solutions in order to help the younger programmes to build on the experience of the well-established, particularly those in the United States, Canada and Australia. General questions and conclusions are reported with respect to aims, organisation, funding, standards development, operation and evaluation but it is emphasized that individual programmes must be designed and developed to be sensitive to local needs.