What is the meaning of "Clinical Governance" in healthcare?

"Clinical Governance" refers to a comprehensive framework designed to ensure accountability and promote continuous improvement in the quality of healthcare services. This concept emphasizes the responsibility of healthcare organizations to provide safe, effective, and patient-centered care.

By implementing clinical governance, health care providers can systematically monitor and enhance the standards of clinical practice, establish protocols for better patient outcomes, and integrate evidence-based practices into everyday care. It encompasses various aspects, including risk management, patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience, which are all critical for delivering high-quality healthcare.

The other options, while related to healthcare, do not encapsulate the core principles of clinical governance. Research ethics guidelines, cost-limiting policies, and methods for reducing wait times focus on specific areas of healthcare but do not address the overarching framework and accountability that clinical governance signifies.