Panteia study maps added value of ZKN quality mark for independent clinics
The Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) collects annual quality indicators (also known as supervisory questions) from all independent clinics in the Netherlands. The IGJ uses this data for risk-based supervision and publishes an annual analysis of these indicators. While this publication discusses many quality indicators, it does not examine the correlation between these indicators and whether a clinic holds the ZKN quality mark. This is the most common quality certification for independent clinics in the Netherlands, issued by the trade association Zelfstandige Klinieken Nederland (ZKN) after a clinic successfully completes an audit based on ZKN standards. The ZKN quality mark has existed since 2006 and primarily aims to guarantee quality and safety standards for patients and stakeholders.
Since 2018, Panteia has conducted research for ZKN to compare clinics with and without the ZKN quality mark. Thanks to the strong collaboration and short communication lines between Panteia and ZKN, Panteia has been able to carry out this study annually, focusing on specific aspects each year. A key finding of these analyses is that clinics with the ZKN quality mark generally score better on a set of examined quality indicators than clinics without this certification. Furthermore, ZKN has used the study's results as input for the ZKN Academy, "to further improve our clinics," according to Marloes Franken of ZKN.
