Quality Measurement What It Means for Obstetricians and Gynecologists

摘要

Quality problems in health care can be described as underase (when proven, evidence-based practices are not followed), misuse (failure to provide appropriate care or use of inappropriate care, including medical errors), and overuse (the provision of medical services with no benefit or for which harms outweigh benefits).1 When policymakers, employers, purchasers of health care, and consumers look at the quality of health care delivery in the United States, the picture is not reassuring. Numerous studies have shown that patients receive little more than half of recommended evidence-based care.Variation in care in different communities, states, and regions is vast, and too often care results in adverse outcomes.