title: History and background of quality measurement.
abstract: Health care quality measurement has become increasingly emphasized, as providers and administrators respond to public and government demands for improved patient care. This article will review the evolution of surgical quality measurement and improvement from its infancy in the 1850s to the vast efforts being undertaken today.
authors.affiliation: Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Division of General and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Division of General and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Andrea Chao
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bafford
keywords: history; quality improvement; quality measures; surgical quality