Defining the proper attribution of responsibility for quality of care

The term "medical care" is frequently used when either "health care" or "patient care" would be more accurate. This inaccurate use of terminology not only fosters the impression that physicians have sole responsibility for the entire health care system, but also hinders efforts to place properly the actual responsibility for the quality of care. This article proposes three precise definitions, based on the unique features that distinguish health care, patient care, and medical care, which emphasize the characteristics of each domain. Proper use of these definitions can prevent the confusion of one area of care with another, and should ultimately result in the quality of each area becoming better defined, and thereby better controlled.