What is Quality?

“In accordance with our mission to provide quality care and services that are spiritually centered and holistic and that sustain and improve the health of individuals and communities serviced, Quality means continually striving to exceed the expectations of those served for excellence in clinical and operational services.” (from the Ascension Health Destination Statement)

How is Quality Measured?

There is no universal agreement on how quality should be measured, so different reports often consider a variety of factors in assessing quality. The following factors are a few examples of quality indicators that area frequently recognized as some of the best indicators:

Credentials

Board certification – Board-certified physicians have completed the training that a specialty board requires, have practiced for a specified period of time and passed a difficult written and oral examination. Board certification is generally accepted as a good indication of competence and experience.

Experience

The more experience the doctor has, the better the results. According to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (September 17, 2002), the majority of studies find a lower patient mortality rate for a given procedure when the hospital or physician has high-volume experience performing that procedure.

Range of Services

Hospitals with a broad range of services are better equipped to manage complications, should they occur. For diseases where many options for care exist ranging from prevention, therapy, non-surgical intervention to surgery, your physician has more care choices. Therefore, you are better assured that the procedure recommended is the best one for you.

Outcomes

Today, outcomes are viewed in terms of various clinical topics, including mortality, complication rates, infection rates, Caesarean section (C-section) rates, and other clinical outcomes measurement categories. The various categories might or might not reflect the resources (cost, charges, length of stay) associated with a given outcome. Risks can be reduced by choosing a hospital with lower mortality rates and/or higher long-term success rates.