The Benefits and Goals of a Healthcare Services Ombudsman

by Rebecca Herold

The term "ombudsman" comes from an Old Swedish word meaning "representative." An ombudsman's role is typically to provide an objective and supervisory role for issues that involve human rights, as well as provide the processes and resources to assist in resolving problems. The general ombudsman role has been in existence from at least the mid-1500s. However, in the past century, the ombudsman role has expanded greatly for government and industry oversight. For example, in the UK, the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration was created in 1967 to provide objective oversight of the activities of the central government departments.

Password Protected Cutter Consortium clients, please log in:


This document is available to Cutter Consortium Resource Center clients only. Retrieve password.
If you would like further information about how to become a client, please contact us at +1 781 648 8700 or sales@cutter.com.
The Benefits and Goals of a Healthcare Services Ombudsman1 January 2008