Review the following broad definition of health care quality and answer the questions that follow:
Health care quality occurs when:
- patients can access a continuum of appropriate care and service in a timely manner,
- patients are educated and actively participate in the planning and delivery of their care and service,
- clinical outcomes are achieved with excellence,
- patients achieve their care goals and optimum quality of life,
- patient satisfaction outcomes are delivered with human dignity and compassion,
- staff satisfaction outcomes reflect pride of achievement, and
- Cost/utilization outcomes demonstrate social responsibility.
- What are your thoughts on this definition of quality? What do you like? What do you dislike? What would you change?
- What is included in this definition that is not found in many other definitions of health care quality? What is not included in this definition of quality?
- Is this definition of health care quality realistic and feasible? Explain your answer.
