Accountability: a critical dimension in health care

The intent of this paper has been to present the notion that the public's demands for accountability present health professionals with unprecedented opportunities. Good health is the bedrock upon which social progress, personal attainment, and individual happiness are built. If health professionals are personally accountable and if they work cooperatively, they can transform the energy now expended in lamenting about crises of confidence, crises of control, and crises of performance into positive action directed toward improving the nation's health. Their rewards will indeed be great.