Quality of health care surveillance systems: review and implementation in the Swiss setting.
Details
State: Public
Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_23659
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Quality of health care surveillance systems: review and implementation in the Swiss setting.
Journal
Swiss Medical Weekly
ISSN
1424-7860
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2002
Volume
132
Number
33-34
Pages
461-469
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review
Abstract
Quality of health care has been a subject of attention for many years in the USA and in Europe. Since the introduction of the new federal law on insurance in 1996 it has evolved to a progressively more important issue within the Swiss health care system. In this review, some theoretical concepts of quality of health care, variations, and surveillance systems are explored. Examples of quality of health care surveillance systems that have been developed successfully in the USA, in Canada, in Australia, and in Europe are discussed. They all demonstrate the interest in creating a large range of quality indicators in the surveillance system and in evaluating hospital performance using a benchmark approach. Currently, the measurement of quality with appropriate indicators is a subject of intense debate between the Swiss Hospitals Association (H+) and the Swiss Health Insurance Consortium (Santésuisse). Examples of existing surveillance systems in Switzerland are the Outcome Verein in Zurich and the quality of care program of the Canton of Valais. The FoQual association has also contributed to the debate by reviewing six indicators, which could be used nationally for a healthcare surveillance system. In this debate it is important to stress that ideal quality indicators intended for use as measures of quality in Swiss hospitals need to be both appropriate and valid. Only indicators that fulfil these conditions should be integrated in a Swiss health care surveillance system. Priority needs to be given to quality indicators and methods with the highest level of evidence and with a solid scientific basis.
Keywords
Australia, Canada, Europe, Hospitals/standards, Humans, National Health Programs/standards, Quality Assurance, Health Care, Quality Indicators, Health Care, Switzerland, Total Quality Management, United States
OAI-PMH
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
19/11/2007 13:19
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:01