Health care quality
Health care quality
Health care quality (pronunciation: /ˈhɛlθ keər ˈkwɒlɪti/) refers to the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.
Etymology
The term "health care quality" is derived from the English words "health care" and "quality". "Health care" (also healthcare) is a compound word that originated in the late 19th century, with "health" coming from the Old English "hǣlth", meaning "wholeness, a being whole, sound or well," and "care" from the Old English "caru", meaning "sorrow, anxiety, grief". "Quality" comes from the Latin "qualitas", meaning "character, nature".
Definition
Health care quality is measured by assessing multiple factors which include the timeliness, effectiveness, safety, efficiency, and equity of health services provided. It is a broad concept that encompasses various aspects of patient care including clinical quality, patient safety, the patient experience, and the health outcomes achieved.
Related Terms
- Patient safety: An important aspect of health care quality, focusing on the prevention of errors and adverse effects associated with health care.
- Health outcomes: The changes in health status of an individual or population attributable to interventions or services.
- Clinical quality: The degree to which health care services are provided according to established standards and guidelines that are known to support improved health outcomes.
- Health equity: The absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically.
- Health care efficiency: The optimal use of resources to achieve the best outcomes.
See Also
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