What is accountability in health care?
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Accountability in healthcare involves multiple parties, domains, and procedures. A stratified model, integrating professional, economic, and political accountability, is best suited for diverse healthcare relationships.
Area Of Science
- Healthcare Management
- Medical Ethics
- Health Policy
Background
- Accountability is a critical issue in healthcare, involving justification and responsibility for actions.
- It encompasses loci (parties involved), domains (activities), and procedures (evaluation and response).
Purpose Of The Study
- To analyze the components and models of healthcare accountability.
- To propose an optimal accountability framework for the healthcare system.
Main Methods
- Characterization and comparison of three dominant accountability models: professional, economic, and political.
- Analysis of the components of accountability: loci, domains, and procedures.
Main Results
- Healthcare accountability involves at least 11 parties, 6 domains (competence, conduct, finance, access, public health, community benefit), and various procedures.
- The professional model emphasizes shared decision-making between physician and patient.
- The economic model uses market forces and consumer choice.
- The political model involves citizens and community governance.
Conclusions
- No single accountability model is sufficient for healthcare.
- A stratified model is recommended: professional for physician-patient interactions, political for managed care organizations, and economic/political for external relationships.