Abstract

Background: Clinical Governance is considered as a system or strategy to improving performance standards and quality of healthcare services. Objective: To explore barriers in implementing clinical governance and propose related solutions in Teaching Hospitals of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. Design: A qualitative study. Setting: Hospitals affiliated to Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran. Subjects: Thirteen participants selected among clinical governance executives of under study hospitals and members of clinical governance office in curative deputy of the University. Results: Eight major challenges in implementing clinical governance were identified including inadequate staff, unsupportive culture, inappropriate training, lack of financial and physical resources, weaknesses in management performance, inadequate monitoring and lack of regulation. To facilitate successful implementation of the programme, appropriate infrastructure, managers’ commitment, supporting culture and adequate knowledge were proposed. Conclusion: Managers and policy makers can accelerate clinical governance implementation by identification and elimination of barriers to remedy existing challenges and improve quality of healthcare services. © 2017, East African Medical Association. All rights reserved.