Monday, November 28, 2011
by RobertG Washington, DC, United StatesPhysician, anesthesiologist, manager. Member: American Society for Quality, American Solar Energy Society
Paul Borawski asks us to “raise our voices for quality” in November, and eleven other months. The implication is that such actions would make various processes “better.” What does that mean for healthcare?
The healthcare gurus talk about quality as if it is some mysterious aspect that transcends price or adherence to standards—something we must have and so we cannot talk about price, for example, without fear of losing quality. In most industries, the definition of quality is determined by the customer, and price is usually an important consideration. Adherence to standards is also important, but that is assumed, particularly in healthcare or other highly regulated industries. States grant licenses to providers and to institutions (hospitals, surgery centers, etc.) Medicare grants authority to institutions to perform and charge for certain procedures. Patients, in general, trust those regulatory mechanisms to ensure a certain standard of care. Price is not an issue.
More in: http://hcfocus.blogspot.com/2011/11/meaning-of-quality-in-hc.html
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