The privileging process is intended to ensure that patients receive skillful care by competent practitioners. Privileges are those clinical functions that a health care institution permits a physician to perform while caring for patients in that institution. The responsibility for the granting of clinical privileges currently belongs to each individual hospital's governing board,<sup>12 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations: The 1995 Joint Commission Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. Oakbrook Terrace, IL, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1994

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> although there has been some discussion about “portable privileges” that might be granted by national surgical organizations, such as the American College of Surgeons.<sup>8 Ebert P.A. As I see it Bull Am Coll Surg 1993 ;  78 : 2

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Hospitals must develop criteria and mechanisms for granting clinical privileges. For practical reasons, most adopt criteria published by specialty boards or specialty societies. The department or the hospital also should develop a privilege list of specific operative procedures within each specialty that should be re-evaluated and updated on a regular basis as new procedures are developed and as some existing procedures become obsolete.