How can clinical governance be defined?

Clinical governance can be defined as a systematic approach to improving patient care quality. It encompasses various processes and standards aimed at ensuring that healthcare systems deliver high-quality care consistently. This involves monitoring and evaluating clinical practices, promoting best practices, and fostering a culture of safety and accountability in healthcare environments.

The focus on patient care quality signifies that clinical governance is not just about administrative measures or financial aspects of healthcare delivery but rather prioritizes the outcomes of patient treatment and the overall experience within the healthcare system. This includes aspects such as patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient involvement in their own care.

The other options do not align with the essence of clinical governance. For instance, increasing patient billing or marketing healthcare services does not directly contribute to the quality of care provided to patients, which is the core objective of clinical governance. Similarly, training healthcare professionals is important but is only a component within the broader framework of clinical governance rather than its defining characteristic.