The ANQ National Quality Agreement
To date, all hospitals and clinics, health insurers and cantons in Switzerland, together with the Principality of Liechtenstein, have signed up to the ANQ National Quality Agreement of 9 March 2011. This form of partnership agreement is considered throughout the world to be a pioneering method of providing for quality improvement in the healthcare sector. In addition to the forms in which ANQ reviews are to be implemented, it also specifies how these are to be funded and, in a separate appendix, it stipulates how ANQ’s efforts to promote improvements are to be financed.
Tasks, rights and obligations
Hospitals and clinics that have acceded to the National Quality Agreement are obligated to carry out ANQ reviews while the signing insurers and cantons, together with the Principality of Liechtenstein, are required to include the ANQ reviews in their service mandates or provide resources for these through their collective agreements and contribute start-up funding. By signing the Agreement, the parties also consent to thoroughly evaluate and ensure transparent publication of review results.
Participation
The hospitals, clinics, cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein were required to sign a participation form in order to confirm their willingness to assent to the terms of the Agreement. The membership of the health insurance organisations was separately arranged through their professional associations.