[ISO 9000: guidelines for a total quality system in health]

The Italian National Health System has recently been revised and reorganized. In the new scenario, the quality of the service being provided is considered extremely important. The international ISO 9000 standard has made it possible to implement a total-quality management system that can be documented and certified independently by a third party. Several hospitals in Italy and abroad have implemented a total-quality system according to ISO 9000 standards in order to provide a service that can satisfy the expectations of the patients in a controlled and efficient way. This article describes ISO 9000, proposes its application to ensure quality in the structures and organizations involved in the national health system and reports several examples of how the standard has been implemented in hospitals.