"Quality" defined as:
Noun: an inherent or distinguishing characteristic";"superiority of Kind";" degree of excellence"
Adjective: "having a high degree of excellence"
(Webster's New World Collage and American Heritage Dictionaries )
Quality means doing the right things right the first time.
Standards are created when experts are able to understand what right things and how the right things are best achieved.
So quality can be said to be, at least in part, compliance with standards. However, when recipients define quality, they judge whether or not the right things are done in ways that meet their own needs and expectations.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Quality of Care:
Quality of care is the degree to which heath services for individuals and populations Increase the likelihood desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional Knowledge
Healthcare Quality is a complex idea and means different things to different people because healthcare service is of heterogeneous nature. So before we challenge ourselves to improve healthcare quality, we need to define exactly what it means.
Quality Concepts, Leadership, Quality System Management, Performance Improvement, People Management