What is health care quality?

Health care quality means that patients, doctors, and health care facilities aim to achieve the best possible results by:

The Institute of Medicine defines high quality health care as:

Why should I look at health care quality information?

Don't people get good care from every medical facility? Here are the facts:

You want to get the very best quality possible when you or a loved one needs care. This means making good decisions about your health care. Health care quality information can help you understand the care that is right for you and where you can go to get it.

What can I do with information about health care quality? How can it help me?

If you or someone you care about needs health care, you can use quality information to choose a hospital, nursing home or doctor. Quality information can help you:

Most doctors, nursing homes and hospitals are happy to talk with patients about quality information from reliable sources such as this website, and they care about your preferences. You certainly have the right to raise issues with them and get answers to your questions. Remember, it's your life and your health.

Where can I learn more about health care quality?

If you are interested in learning more about quality care or how to choose a hospital, here are some resources that can help.

Hospital Compare - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Physician Compare

Physician Compare can help you find a doctor nearby. You can search by specialty, board certification, group practice, and which hospitals the doctor works with, among other topics.

Nursing Home Compare

Nursing Home Compare collects information about every nursing home in the country that provides care to people who receive Medicare or Medicaid benefits. The website a detailed guide for choosing a nursing home or other long-term care.

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

To contact AHRQ by mail write to:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Office of Communications
5600 Fishers Lane, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20857

To reach AHRQ by phone, call (301) 427-1364

The Joint Commission

This organization is the primary group that reviews and accredits hospitals in the United States. The Joint Commission’s’s Quality Check website tells you which hospitals meet this organization's patient safety and quality standards.

To reach Joint Commission with a general question, call 630-792-5000.

To order Joint Commission publications, call 877-223-6866.

The Leapfrog Group

The Leapfrog Group measures hospital performance against national standards for safety, quality and efficiency that are relevant to consumers and purchasers of health care. Hospital participation is voluntary; more than 1400 hospitals participated in The Leapfrog Hospital Survey in 2013, and more than 2500 have received a Hospital Safety Score.

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports releases hospital ratings based on patient safety, patient experience, patient outcomes and other characteristics.