What is clinical governance?

• A. A legal entity that administers hospital budgets.
• B. A framework ensuring high-quality, safe, and accountable patient care across a health system.
• C. A patient advocacy group.
• D. A method for coding diagnoses.

Answer: (B)

Clinical governance is the framework within a health system that ensures high-quality, safe, and accountable patient care. It ties together leadership, clear accountability, and continuous learning, using evidence-based practice, risk management, audits, incident reporting, guidelines, and ongoing professional development to maintain and improve care across all services. This broad, system-wide approach is what the option describes. The other options refer to separate functions—budget administration, patient advocacy, or diagnostic coding—that don’t capture the overarching governance framework for quality and safety.