[Quality in health care. What quality? Judged by which criteria? By whom? How?].
Quality in healthcare has to evaluate the efficacy, the cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Quality of treatment could be evaluated with randomized clinical trials and with satisfaction measurement, leading to professional recommendations. Quality of therapeutic strategy is based on the evaluation of patient monitoring. The quality of the healthcare worker is based on initial training, accreditation and various audits. The final quality in healthcare depends on the competence of the prescriber but also on the medical information, the logistics and the control of prescriptions. Improvements in quality will be obtained by better medical training, patient information and application of professional recommendations. These recommendations have to change gradually to be adapted to medical progress and evidence-based medicine.
Bergmann
J F
JF
Service de Médecine Interne A, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475 Paris, France.
Mahé
I
I
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000592:standards; D005602:France; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*