FBH Qualifica: FBH’s programme to strengthen healthcare quality and patient safety

An initiative by the Brazilian Hospital Federation that is already helping healthcare organizations of all sizes adopt best practices in governance, management, and patient safety.

As a Full Member of the International Hospital Federation (IHF), the Brazilian Hospital Federation (FBH) has dedicated the past several months to consolidating one of its flagship initiatives: the FBH Qualifica Programme, designed to support Brazilian hospitals and other healthcare providers in their ongoing journey toward excellence in healthcare delivery.

More than a certification process, FBH Qualifica is a nationwide quality improvement strategy built upon the extensive experience accumulated by FBH over more than six decades representing over 4,600 healthcare institutions across all regions of Brazil.

Quality accessible to different realities

The programme was created based on the understanding that healthcare quality should not be a privilege reserved for a few centres of excellence, but rather an achievable commitment for healthcare organizations of different sizes and levels of organizational maturity.

Its methodology was designed to guide healthcare providers in adopting best practices in clinical governance, management, patient safety, and continuous improvement, aligned with both national guidelines and international recommendations for healthcare quality.

How the programme works

FBH Qualifica is structured as a progressive institutional development journey, allowing each organization to advance according to its own level of maturity.

Participating hospitals and healthcare services undergo a structured assessment based on four qualification levels, QI through QIV, covering criteria related to leadership, governance, infrastructure, clinical processes, performance indicators, and patient safety culture.

To support this journey, FBH developed a digital platform in partnership with TOTVS, Brazil’s leading technology company. The platform enables continuous monitoring of performance indicators, document management, evidence tracking, and interaction among participating organizations, making the process more transparent, efficient, and data-driven while supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Expected outcomes

According to FBH, the programme’s primary objective is to strengthen healthcare organizations so they can deliver increasingly safe, efficient, and patient-centered care. Expected outcomes include:

• Reduction of clinical and operational risks;
• Strengthening institutional governance;
• Recognition and empowerment of multidisciplinary teams;
• Optimization of internal processes;
• Increased organizational sustainability.

An initiative to inspire international cooperation

Beyond its immediate results, FBH believes the programme demonstrates how national representative organizations can play an active role in improving healthcare quality. By combining its own methodology, technical support, digital tools, and continuous follow-up, FBH Qualifica is presented as an initiative capable of inspiring similar programmes in other countries and healthcare systems while respecting their local contexts and specific needs.

FBH believes that sharing successful experiences strengthens international cooperation and enhances healthcare systems’ capacity to address today’s hospital care challenges. For this reason, FBH has made itself available to the International Hospital Federation (IHF) and its members to present the programme’s methodology in greater detail, share lessons learned, and explore opportunities for technical cooperation aimed at strengthening healthcare quality and patient safety worldwide.

Contact information

For more information about the FBH Qualifica Program, please contact the Quality Department of the Brazilian Hospital Federation (FBH):

• Website: fbh.com.br
• E-mail: qualificafbh@fbh.com.br | Railson@fbh.com.br

References

FBH Qualifica Guidance Manual (Brazilian Hospital Federation, 2026); World Health Organization (WHO), 1993, as cited in Paz, M. A., Best Practices for the Operation of Healthcare Services with a Focus on Patient Safety (Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency – Anvisa).