[External evaluation of hospital organizations in Brazil: could things be done differently?]

This paper addresses different aspects related to the use of external evaluation models of health services in Brazil, especially hospital accreditation. It is based upon the author´s experience in implementing quality evaluation models in hospitals, as well as on her master and PhD works. The author presents a few aspects concerning the impact of the use of these models in hospitals and the specificities of their application. The results are listed: management enhancement, standardization of processes, personnel training, teamwork, patient-focused care, motivation, external recognition, culture change. The author points out the sundry aspects concerning the way such models are used in Brazilian hospitals.