Quality measures: do we need them?

摘要

With increasing public focus on the cost of health care and demands for greater accountability, there is an ever-increasing emphasis on measurement of quality, patient satisfaction, and outcomes. We are being challenged to create a broad array of evidence-based guidelines and quality measures for our specialty. The standards for level of evidence are continually being raised. An interesting paradox, of course, is that there is relatively little published evidence regarding the science of quality measurement itself or its effects on patient outcomes. This has led some to question the resources spent on quality measurement and the suggestion that the money could be better spent on actual delivery of health care. All sides of the argument contain some elements of truth.