Quality medical care. A definition
G. E. Steffen
Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado, Boulder.
This article offers a definition of quality medical care. Quality itself is
defined not as consisting of the properties of an object but rather as the
capacity of these properties to achieve goals. Accordingly, quality medical
care is the capacity of the elements of that care to achieve legitimate
medical and nonmedical goals. This definition is compared with other
current definitions. I offer answers to the questions of how to choose
goals, who chooses goals, and what are legitimate goals. Implications of
this definition are discussed, particularly with reference to chart review.
Because patient values shape goals and because these values are not always
assessed and recorded, it is recommended that a formal assessment of
patient values become part of the patient's record.
