The external evaluation and management of hospital quality are two intimately related aspects of the same phenomenon: the need to improve the quality of health services and provide confidence of this quality to all stakeholders. The objective of this study is to analyze the hospital accreditation programs and ISO 9001 quality management and certification schemes of health institutions, as well as to identify the benefits of each of them, their similarities and differences. Hospital accreditations and ISO 9001 certifications are important instruments to improve the health service quality and to give confidence to the society about the health care provider. Both guide management strategies to improve service quality and patient safety. They differ in some aspects: accreditation is based on the best practices of the quality of the medical assistance and have a more technical character. The ISO 9001 standard is more process oriented and constitutes a suitable framework for incorporating the requirements of hospital accreditation programs and existing international methodologies for risk management in health institutions.
