Association between hospital accreditation and patient safety management systems in Japan: A secondary analysis of nationwide surveys, 2015—2023

The increasing trend in the use of several mechanisms suggests an association between accreditation and the presence of structured patient safety management systems. The enhanced identification ability may explain the observed increase in the reported experience of serious medical accidents. These findings suggest that accredited hospitals may be characterised by more developed or formalised approaches to identifying medical accidents and near-misses, as well as by differences in reporting culture. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms linking accreditation to improved safety outcomes.