Biomaterial Database

Quality assurance in palliative care: some of the problems. 1995

C Ingleton, and A Faulkner

This review considers some of the difficulties associated with quality assurance in the context of palliative care. In particular, it will focus on the key question of who should be responsible for assessing quality and the problems of over-reliance on one particular perspective. Problems encountered in formulating criteria, setting standards and developing outcome measures, many of which are exacerbated in the palliative care setting, are discussed. A review of some of the methods currently available for assessing quality and their limitations are delineated. Finally, attention is drawn to some of the practical and methodological difficulties currently confronting palliative care with regard to quality assurance.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011785	Quality Assurance, Health Care	Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps.	Quality Assessment, Health Care,Health Care Quality Assessment,Health Care Quality Assurance,Healthcare Quality Assessment,Healthcare Quality Assurance,Quality Assessment, Healthcare,Quality Assurance, Healthcare,Assessment, Healthcare Quality,Assessments, Healthcare Quality,Assurance, Healthcare Quality,Assurances, Healthcare Quality,Healthcare Quality Assessments,Healthcare Quality Assurances,Quality Assessments, Healthcare,Quality Assurances, Healthcare
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D001294	Attitude to Health	Public attitudes toward health, disease, and the medical care system.	Health Attitude,Attitude, Health,Attitudes, Health,Health Attitudes,Health, Attitude to
D017051	Hospice Care	Specialized health care, supportive in nature, provided to a dying person. A holistic approach is often taken, providing patients and their families with legal, financial, emotional, or spiritual counseling in addition to meeting patients' immediate physical needs. Care may be provided in the home, in the hospital, in specialized facilities (HOSPICES), or in specially designated areas of long-term care facilities. The concept also includes bereavement care for the family. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)	Bereavement Care,Hospice Programs,Care, Bereavement,Care, Hospice,Hospice Program,Program, Hospice,Programs, Hospice