[The imperative of medical involvement in the implementation of quality control systems]

Changes in health care delivery in Chile over the last years include rising costs and the relative increase of prepaid private insurance programs. It is expected that there will be increasing pressures on health providers to decrease cost while maintaining or improving quality. A series of common clinical problems are reviewed (hernia repair, appendicitis, gallstone disease, trauma, preoperative evaluation) to demonstrate that using a scientific method-continuous quality improvement- and considering the local socioeconomic reality, this challenge can be met. Emphasis is made on the need for physicians to participate in such a process and on the teaching of these concepts. Medical societies and schools should consider these health care developments and adopt to this changes.