DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDICAL CARE

Abstract

The aim: to investigate changes in the interpretation of the content of the characteristics of the quality of medical care and medical service; to propose practical approaches to the formation of modern quality criteria and indicators in health care institutions.
 Materials and methods: sources of scientific literature from the databases PubMed, NICE, according to the selected research topic, were selected as research materials; methods: bibliosemantic; analysis and generalization of the obtained data.
 Results. Classic characteristics of quality – safety, quality of resources, quality of the medical care process, treatment outcome, patient satisfaction, timeliness, fairness, efficiency – are reviewed over time and acquire additional or radically changed content. The selection of relevant quality characteristics is important for health care managers to define quality criteria and indicators according to the requirements of the local context. In addition to the traditional components of infectious safety and the safety of medical interventions, the safety criterion is today complemented by the components of radiation, environmental, epidemic, physical, informational, and terrorist safety. Safety also refers to the ability of professionals to avoid, prevent and reduce harmful interventions or risks to themselves and the environment. Patient-centeredness must include respect for the relationship not only between physician and patient, but also between the patient and all providers of health care for that patient. Effective, safe health care is reflected in a culture of excellence that includes collaboration, communication, compassion, competence, advocacy, respect, accountability and reliability. The most relevant criteria and indicators of the quality of medical care must be developed in accordance with the structure of innovative organizational models of academic health care centers, where scientific, clinical and educational activities are integrated. This requires the formation of end-to-end quality criteria and indicators that cover all activities of academic centers.
 Conclusions: criteria and indicators of the quality of medical care and medical service are constantly supplemented with new components, in accordance with the achievements of medical science and practice. The transformation of the organizational structures of medical care into academic centers, where scientific and educational activities are added to traditional medical practice, requires the development and introduction of end-to-end criteria for the quality of medical care.