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Quality Assessment from an Economic Perspective

A Taxonomy of Approaches with Applications to Nursing Home Care

Harvard School of Public Health

Since people do not rank goods identically, there is no theoretically correct way for public agencies to assess the quality of goods or services. Yet, from a social perspective, it is often important to evaluate quality. The traditional categorization of quality assessment approaches in health care is by structure, process and outcome variables. A somewhat different taxonomy is presented here: (a) market variables; (b) questionnaire results; (c) output measures; and (d) input measures. The market approach is rare in the health carefield, but it is the approach most consonant with the economic way of thinking. All four approaches are examinedfrom an economic perspective. Studies of nursing home care are classified by this new taxonomy. While all approaches to quality assessment have limitations, and are not necessarily consistent within or among themselves, they can provide useful insights concerning levels of quality.

Evaluation & the Health Professions, Vol. 6, No. 4, 379-396 (1983)
DOI: 10.1177/016327878300600401


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