HEALTH-CARE QUALITY - INCORPORATING CONSUMER PERSPECTIVES

The goal of this article is to address, from the perspective of users of the health care system (consumers), the following questions: What a re the most important health care quality gaps and/or challenges; what major changes should we anticipate in this area in the near future; a nd what should be the role of federal and state agencies, accreditatio n organizations, and philanthropic foundations in addressing these cha llenges? We discuss the needs, challenges, and potential action steps for increasing the prominence of the user's perspective in 3 areas: (1 ) the conceptualization and definition of quality; (2) the measurement of quality; and (3) routine quality assessment and improvement. The a rticle concludes by making recommendations about the role that differe nt agencies and organizations can and should play in meeting these cha llenges.