Publication

Measuring health care quality: comparing and contrasting the medical and the marketing approaches

Bowers, Michael R.
Kiefe, Catarina I.
Embargo Expiration Date
Abstract

Health care quality, a key concept for medical practice and research, is also a widely used construct in health care administration and marketing research. We explored discipline-specific differences in the definition of quality, with the intent of finding a more unified approach. We summarized definitions and basic conceptual approaches to quality in both disciplines and then compared them on several attributes: basic goals, sources of measurement, role of patient perceptions, role of health care personnel, and need for risk adjustment. We developed a conceptual model combining the 2 approaches. Both disciplines could benefit from broadening their outcome measures. Patient satisfaction deserves more attention from medical researchers, whereas marketing approaches should go beyond using patient satisfaction as the only outcome of interest. It is conceptually feasible to integrate medical and marketing approaches to quality, with important insights resulting from this integration.

Source

Am J Med Qual. 2002 Jul-Aug;17(4):136-44.

Year of Medical School at Time of Visit
Sponsors
Dates of Travel
DOI
PubMed ID
12153066
Other Identifiers
Notes
Funding and Acknowledgements
Corresponding Author
Related Resources
Related Resources
Repository Citation
Rights
Distribution License