You want the best medical care. We can help you find it.

But we won't simply tell you to come to Deaconess. We want you to learn about our quality services, so you can decide for yourself.

Fortunately, it's becoming easier to recognize quality health care. Many public and private groups are working on ways to measure and report on the quality of health care. These measures offer you a reliable means of choosing the best medical providers. Use our guide to understanding quality to get started. Refer to the glossary to learn more about terms and organizations mentioned throughout our quality section.

	Aspects of Quality Care 1. Safe 2. Effective 3. Patient-Centered 4. Timely 5. Efficient 6. Equitable

What Is Quality in Health Care?

The Institute of Medicine has identified six factors that are crucial to quality care. Look for these qualities in your health care providers.

1. Safe - Avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them. Learn more about the Deaconess Culture of Safety.
2. Effective - Providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoid underuse and overuse).
3. Patient-centered - Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values and ensuring that patients' values guide all clinical decisions.
4. Timely - Reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care.
5. Efficient - Avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, ideas and energy.
6. Equitable - Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socio-economic status.

(Excerpt: Crossing the Quality Chasm, A New Health System for the 21st Century, Institute of Medicine, 2001, National Academy of Sciences.)