| Quality medical care. A definition. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 3379723 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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This article offers a definition of quality medical care. Quality itself is defined not as consisting of the properties of an object but rather as the capacity of these properties to achieve goals. Accordingly, quality medical care is the capacity of the elements of that care to achieve legitimate medical and nonmedical goals. This definition is compared with other current definitions. I offer answers to the questions of how to choose goals, who chooses goals, and what are legitimate goals. Implications of this definition are discussed, particularly with reference to chart review. Because patient values shape goals and because these values are not always assessed and recorded, it is recommended that a formal assessment of patient values become part of the patient's record. The definition of quality medical care as the capacity of the elements of that care to achieve legitimate medical and nonmedical goals is compared with other current definitions. The difficulty of choosing goals is reflected in the contrast between the technical and the interpersonal aspects of care; doctor and patient should work together to achieve "legitimate" goals which integrate scientific knowledge and personal beliefs. Because this definition will affect chart review, a formal assessment of patient values must become part of the patient's record. |
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Authors:
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G E Steffen |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Volume: 260 ISSN: 0098-7484 ISO Abbreviation: JAMA Publication Date: 1988 Jul |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 1988-07-15 Completed Date: 1988-07-15 Revised Date: 2006-11-07 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7501160 Medline TA: JAMA Country: UNITED STATES |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 56-61 Citation Subset: AIM; E; IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado, Boulder. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Communication Consumer Satisfaction* Medical Records Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) Patient Participation Peer Review / methods Personal Autonomy Quality of Health Care* Risk Assessment Social Values* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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