The reform of the hospital accreditation system in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation and Quality Improvement (TJCHA) began to reform the hospital accreditation system in 2003 to improve health care quality with emphasis on patient-centredness and safety. Hospital accreditation in Taiwan started in 1978. Over the years, the accreditation system has improved the hospital structure significantly. Yet TJCHA realized the urgent need of reforming the accreditation system after the SARS outbreak to focus on process and outcomes. The new system has revised accreditation standards, survey methods and the surveyors' system to evaluate the entire process of patient care for better quality and safety.