This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
What is "Quality"?
- Perspective—who is interested?
- Patient
- Provider
- Payer
- Health Care Institutions
- Society
- Cost (only reduction in costs or effectiveness? Total vs. Hospital?)
- "Quality of Life"
- Improved adherence to "Evidence Based Medicine"
- Safety—improved or not worsened?
- System performance—Does the technology perform as designed or intended?
- Improved survival
Previous Slide Contents Next Slide 