Home care quality management. Where are we now? Where do we go from here?

This article is the first of a series of three focusing on key management processes in home care--quality management, financial and information management, and, service and human resource management. The articles examine the current state of practice in Ontario and suggest a desirable future state. In this first article, home care is defined and a brief description is provided from a national and provincial perspective. Quality is also defined and the drivers for quality in home care outlined. Using a framework of key principles, the current home care program is assessed and conclusions drawn about where it sits on the quality continuum. Activities to move home care closer to true quality management are then suggested for the province, community, and service provider levels.