There is no single agreed upon definition of the term quality of health care. The Institute of Medicine in 1990 summarized over 50 definitions of the term and there have been additional definitions and modifications since that time. The issues of the definition of the term become more complex and takes on additional levels of importance when we are faced with the problem of implementing a quality of care program and try to measure the quality of care. The various definitions to be reviewed will include: Donabedian in terms of structure, process, and outcomes; the Institute of Medicine which forms the basis of most of the definitions adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services research components; the accreditation bodies such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance; regulatory bodies such as the Health Care Financing Administration for it medical review program, and the Public Health Service for its Healthy People 2010 efforts to improve the health outcomes of the American people. The definitions will be reviewed to provide a context to the discussion of the measure of quality of care and its applications to the public health and clinical laboratory.
Learning Objectives: The participant should be able to recognize the varuious ways of defining "quality of care" and the basis for the definition as well as how it might be applied to the health care system and the laboratory
Keywords: Health Care Quality, Public Health Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Agency for Health care Quality and Research and the Department of Health and Human Services
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.