Objective and subjective measures of health care quality (Obiektywne i subiektywne mierniki jakosci opieki zdrowotnej)

Jacek Michalak ()
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Jacek Michalak: Wydzial Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lodzi

Problemy Zarzadzania, 2011, vol. 9, issue 33, 126-139

Abstract: Measurement of health care quality can be defined as a transformation of data contained in medical documentation into quantifiable indicators (expressed in percentages, time, or degree of satisfaction), which shows to what extent the needs of patients have been met. Given the various types and definitions of health care needs (real, expressed, met, etc.), and the various methods of assessment and management of quality (patient satisfaction, so-called clinical quality, certification, accreditation, quality awards, TQM, etc.), there is a methodological problem: to what extent do quality measures and methods reflect the actual quality of health care? The majority of objective measures refer to epidemiological data and are employed in the process approach to hospital management. On the other hand, subjective measures usually result from the assessment of patient satisfaction and from patient perceptions of health care, or even the entire health care system. This paper analyses the selection of subjective and objective measures used in selected quality assessment methods (ISO-9001:2000, accreditation, Euro Health Consumer Index). The results show that it is necessary to take into consideration the clinical context in interpreting particular indicators, especially if it concerns perceived quality measures—a source of popular stereotypes that are significantly different from the objective picture of health care quality.

Date: 2011
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