Endocrine Surgery Section Research Articles

Collective Self-Evaluation in a Surgical Department

Since 1978, the vascular and endocrine surgery section at the Henri Mondor University Hospital Center, near Paris, has regularly evaluated the quality of its work by process of collective self-evaluation--self-evaluation because no one from outside the section participates, and collective because everyone contributing to the results of surgery does participate. This article describes the collective self-evaluation process, including the goals, methods, and results of the various types of evaluation involved. It also discusses the impact of the process, barriers to optimal efficiency, and conditions for success.