Categories of Quality Health Care and their Dimensions
Categories of Quality Health Care and their Dimensions
I. Care Process
Listening to patients
Answering questions
Clear explanations
Respect and caring
Personal relationship
Attentiveness
Privacy/confidentiality
Time spent waiting
Clinical procedures/best practices
Documentation
Continuity of care
Communication to family
Patient education
Information about treatment status
Financial expenditures for patient care
II. Patient Rights
Consent for procedures
Information about diagnostic and treatment options
Use of restraints (physical and chemical)
Competent language services
Culturally competent providers
Non-discrimination by race, ethnicity, and gender
Billing errors/billing clarity
III. Diagnostic Accuracy
Appropriate/insufficient testing
Best practices diagnostic algorithms
Relates to various care process elements, such as listening to patients, respect and caring, personal relationship
IV. Outcomes of Care
Mortality rate
Complications (including infections)
Side effects
Restoration of function
Recurrence
Pain management
Length of stay
Overall patient satisfaction
V. Significant Errors (examples)
Medication errors
Misreporting or misreading test results
Surgery on wrong patient or body part
Leaving foreign objects in body during surgery
Discharge of infant to wrong family
VI. Access
Provider/patient ratio
Choice of providers
Availability of specialists
Clinically skilled providers
Properly/appropriately credentialed staff
Alternative health care providers
Remaining with provider over a course of treatment
Location/transportation
Time convenience
VII. Disease Prevention and Wellness (examples)
Smoking reduction
Immunizations
Diet and exercise
Well-child care
Substance abuse prevention
VIII. Care Environment
Cleanliness (facility and patient/resident)
Personal safety
Presence of hazardous materials
Homelike environment for long-term care
Source: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
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