Executive summary

Denmark is rightly seen as a pioneer in health care quality initiatives among OECD countries. Over many years, it has developed a sophisticated array of quality assurance mechanisms. Yet, like all other countries, it faces a number of health care challenges including increasing public and political expectations around the continuity of care increased specialisation in the hospital sector, which translates into shorter stays and earlier discharge back into the community and a rise in the number of elderly patients with multiple long-term conditions, requiring safe and effective co-ordination of care and avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation. This quality review assesses how well Denmark’s quality assurance mechanisms are placed to address these challenges.