Update on Quality

Quality is the holy grail of health care. Until it can be well defined and measured, controlling the cost of care will continue to be a challenge. Hospitals are critical in the effort but they are just part of the equation according to an interview w/Kenneth Kizer founder of the National Quality Forum:

The way to manage this increased intensity on quality, Kizer says, requires providers to adopt "a team activity."

• Does the health provider have teams in place to support the patient at home so he doesn't end up back in the hospital?
• Is anyone calling the patient to see if they took their medications? And ask if they are okay?
• Is anyone asking how the patients are doing on their diets?

Read the whole interview here:
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/QUA-265810/NQF-Founder-Quality-Measure-Science-Still-Immature.html