Improving the Quality of Care in Hospitals: Impact on Patient Outcomes and Satisfaction

Abstract

Patient experiences and outcomes following hospitalization depend in part on the quality of care delivered. Optimising the quality of care is now a central aim within contemporary healthcare systems, as healthcare providers strive to reduce avoidable harm and improve patient satisfaction; along with improving health outcomes. Research has repeatedly shown that hospital quality improvement efforts result in robust improvements to measurable health outcomes among patients, leading to lower patient mortality and morbidity rates as well as fewer medical errors; better management of chronic diseases. Concurrently, patient satisfaction (influenced by care environment as well as provider communication and other hospital experience dimensions) has become increasingly important in health performance assessment.
There is much less information available on the impact of hospital quality improvement initiatives.