accountability

Over the past ten years accountability has been used in a myriad of different ways. I have noticed the definition of accountability almost take over (and in some cases has) the definition of responsibility. Quite honestly differentiating accountability and responsibility can sometimes be challenging. The assigned article references doctors in the healthcare system (Mansouri, M., & Rowney, 2014 ). In the article it describes accountability as meaning several different things. When describing by understanding of what the article is truly trying to define where accountability is concerned is really all over the board. Essentially, accountability is being defined and re-defined based off of the circumstances surrounding what is going to be accountable and who is the one that is going to be accountable. The article’s authors bring a valid point as to the difficulty in not only fully defining accountability but more importantly the loose use of the accountability word itself. There is not suitable definition that can be applied across professional and no professional lines.
The problem I have is that there is that I feel there is somewhat a distinction between accountability and responsibility. I agree that the two go hand in hand. I feel doctors should be held accountable for their actions. Furthermore I believe that Doctors should be ultimately responsible for the actions for which they were accountable. Responsibility is the end all be all as far as I am concerned. If you go even further one could argue that hospitals are accountable or rather held accountable for the doctors that are employed by them. It does not mean that they are necessarily responsible for their actions. So, in a way there are levels of accountability to consider.
In business today I believe there is a clearer definition when it comes to accountability which is more consistent with my personal definition. My definition as I understand it is the responsibility given to a person