Quality of healthcare is defined as how much more likely healthcare makes it to obtain the desired health results, and how consistent healthcare services are with current scientific knowledge.
In this report, we defined 5 dimensions to measure the quality of healthcare :
- Effectiveness of care may be defined as 'the degree of achieving desirable outcomes, given the correct provision of evidence-based healthcare services to all who could benefit but not those who would not benefit'. Indicators of effectiveness are typically outcome indicators - patient reported outcomes (PROMs), adverse events (mortality, preventable hospitalizations, incidence of bacterial resistance, etc.) and sentinel events (eg surgical site).
- Appropriateness of care – how appropriate care is – may be defined as 'the degree to which provided healthcare is relevant to the clinical needs, given the current best evidence'. It can be evaluated by a variety of means, the most robust of which is to examine the extent to which medical practice is consistent with clinical recommendations. Another frequently used method is the analysis of geographic variability of care practices.
- Security of care may be defined as 'the degree to which the system does not harm the patient'.
- Continuity of care addresses ‘the extent to which healthcare for specified users, over time, is smoothly organised within and across providers, institutions and regions, and to which extent the entire disease trajectory is covered'.
- Patient-centred care is defined as ’Care that is respectful and mindful of patient preferences, needs and values, and ensures that this is what guides clinical decision-making’.