The Sustainable Development Goals urge countries to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), including financial risk protection and access to quality essential health care services. However, the reality in many settings is that providing quality care remains a significant challenge, and inadequate quality results in avoidable mortality, human suffering and significant economic losses.
While challenges to improving the quality of care are substantial, the need for action is clear, and many countries are making progress to build quality into their health systems. The WHO-World Bank-OECD report – Delivering quality health services – highlights the need for action across multiple stakeholders at all health system levels. The provision of quality services requires good governance; a skilled and competent health workforce that is supported and motivated; financing mechanisms that enable and encourage quality care; information systems that continuously monitor and learn to drive better care; medicines, devices and technologies that are available, safe and appropriately regulated; and accessible and well-equipped healthcare facilities.
WHO, World Bank and the OECD have proposed a series of actions from key constituencies – governments, health systems, citizens and patients, and health workers – that need to work together to achieve the goal of quality health service delivery at the front line
Quality of care
Quality of care is the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes. It is based on evidence-based professional knowledge and is critical for achieving universal health coverage. As countries commit to achieving Health for All, it is imperative to carefully consider the quality of care and health services. Quality health care can be defined in many ways but there is growing acknowledgement that quality health services should be:
- Effective – providing evidence-based healthcare services to those who need them;
- Safe – avoiding harm to people for whom the care is intended; and
- People-centred – providing care that responds to individual preferences, needs and values.
To realize the benefits of quality health care, health services must be:
- Timely – reducing waiting times and sometimes harmful delays;
- Equitable – providing care that does not vary in quality on account of gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socio-economic status;
- Integrated – providing care that makes available the full range of health services throughout the life course;
- Efficient – maximizing the benefit of available resources and avoiding waste.
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