Unit 5 Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement
Quality Assurance & Quality Improvement

Section 1. The Vision for Quality

Health Care Quality

In Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines health care quality as “the degree to which health care services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.” Additionally, IOM sets forth six aims for QI, built around the need for health care to be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.