Safer Better Healthcare Standards
Defining Quality
Quality of healthcare is defined in many ways by different healthcare systems. One of the most widely accepted definitions is that of the Institute of Medicine, USA where quality is broken down into six domains: patient centred, safety, effectiveness, equity, timeliness and efficiency.
In Ireland quality is defined by the four quality domains set out in the Safer Better Healthcare Standards:
- Person centred - care that is respectful and responsive to individuals needs and values and partners with them in designing and delivering that care.
- Effective- care that is delivered according to the best evidence as to what is clinically effective in improving an individual’s health outcomes.
- Safe- care that avoids, prevents and minimises harm to patients and learns from when things go wrong.
- Better health and wellbeing - care that seeks to identify and take opportunities to support patients in improving their own health and wellbeing.
Figure 1: Definition of quality within the Irish healthcare system Person centred Better Health & Wellbeing Safe Effective
Related Information
http://www.hse.ie/eng/about/Who/qualityandpatientsafety/qpsfocuson/Framework-for-Improving-Quality-in-Our-Health-Service.html
https://www.hiqa.ie/standards/health/safer-better-healthcare