The role of quality measurement in a competitive marketplace

Quality measurement is not a new idea. However, in recent years, several new trends have gained prominence: greater interest in publicly reported information on quality of care, access to care, and patient satisfaction; an increased focus on health plans and integrated systems of care rather than on institutional providers and practitioners as the unit of observation; wide adoption of the techniques of continuous quality improvement within the health care sector; increased use of clinical practice guidelines to improve care for a broad range of medical conditions; incorporation of computer technology into the clinical setting; and greater appreciation for health outcomes as a measure of quality of care. This chapter first reviews the changes in the medical landscape that have seeded these trends and the distinction between quality assurance and quality improvement. It then focuses on public policy concerns, in particular on the emergence of publicly disseminated information about quality of care, now often called "quality report cards." The major prototypes of these reports developed to date, the responses to quality reporting by different members of the delivery system, and the major criticisms of this approach are reviewed. The chapter concludes by predicting probable developments and the strategies most likely to move health care forward in a productive direction.