Assuring quality of health care. An overview

This article reviews currently used quality assurance techniques. It assumes a broad definition of quality that includes attention to the content and professional judgment exercised in the provision of health services, as well as the appropriateness of resource utilization. Emphasis is on more or less generic approaches to review that can be applied regardless of the specific health profession involved. After describing and contrasting various quality assurance techniques, the article concludes with a general discussion of effectiveness, problems in initiating behavior change, and opportunities for further research and evaluation.