Quality of Care and the Institute of Medicine (IOM)

Study Notes

Quality of care is difficult to define, but the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines it as the degree to which health services increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.
The IOM recommends six aims for improving the health care system to address deficiencies in the quality of care and other limitations: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.
Consumers typically place more emphasis on a provider’s communication skills, convenience, accessibility, cleanliness of the health care setting, and whether the treatment or procedure improved their symptoms or condition.
Public and private payers have developed programs to measure and improve quality and hold providers accountable for the quality of their care.
Public reporting programs collect information on selected measures of quality and publish each provider’s quality scores.
P4P programs translate quality scores into financial rewards and penalties to motivate providers.
Quality measures tend to evaluate spending rather than quality.
Equity as a goal may help improve quality for the population as a whole, but it is not typically used to measure the performance of specific providers for specific populations.
High-quality care is providing patients with appropriate services in a technically competent manner, with good communication, shared decision making, and cultural sensitivity.
The IOM’s definition of quality includes safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care.

Description

Learn about the Institute of Medicine's definition of quality of care, including its six aims for improving the health care system. Explore how public and private payers measure and improve quality, and the role of P4P programs in motivating providers. Understand the importance of communication, cultural sensitivity, and equity in delivering high-quality care.