Quality measures "can improve quality of care but risk misinterpretation"

21 Jan - Greater use of quality measures in the NHS has real potential for improving the quality of care, but care must be taken to avoid misleading patients, distorting priorities and damaging staff morale, says The King's Fund. In its discussion paper, Getting the measure of quality, the Fund sets out the issues that should be considered in developing and using indicators for measuring quality. The Fund stresses the need to avoid misinterpretation and confusion by being clear about the different audiences for quality measures and how they will use them. It also suggests that the NHS should widen the scope of quality measurement to include measures of productivity, efficiency and inequality, as well as those that capture quality across patient pathways. © King's Fund

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