Quality of Care

AS GOVERNMENT, business, and other payers search for methods to reduce their health care costs, and as competition intensifies in the health sector, efforts to preserve the quality of health care will become increasingly important. Pressure will grow for changes in delivery and financing systems that may tend to reduce the quality of care provided. Public debate will increasingly focus on how to define and measure quality, as health professionals, payers, and consumers address such issues as ensuring quality of care in contracting with provider groups; deceptiveness of advertisements stating that certain providers give "the highest quality health care available"; the feasibility of incorporating a measure of quality in reimbursing hospitals or any other health care providers; and evaluating the effectiveness of various treatment modalities and delivery systems. The Council believes that the challenge posed by this evolving health care environment is threefold: to foster a broader public understanding of