Achieving accountability

The word and concept of "accountability" is used broadly and frequently in healthcare--often seen as the key to success change initiatives. But what accountability means and how it is applied can vary significantly. Policy-makers, managers, researchers and healthcare providers use the term in relation to everything from the quality of our relationships with and expectations of one another, to our requirements for more transparency in how resources are used, to our diagnosis of problems and remedies for improving the healthcare system (Brown et al. 2006.).