Skip Navigation


International Journal for Quality in Health Care Advance Access originally published online on July 21, 2005
International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2005 17(6):497-504; doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzi063
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
17/6/497    most recent
mzi063v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fickel, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Thrush, C. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fickel, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Thrush, C. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

International Journal for Quality in Health Care vol. 17 no. 6 © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved

Policymaker use of quality of care information

Jacqueline J. Fickel1 and Carol R. Thrush2

1 Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and 2 Veterans Administration Health Services Research and Development, Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Little Rock, AR, USA

Objective. This study describes public policymakers’ experiences with the feasibility of using information from quality of care assessment activities. The objective is to improve the ability to match quality evaluation tools with policymakers’ information needs.

Design. US state administrative policymakers were interviewed about use of quality of care information and knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with information from specific types of measures.

Participants. A purposive sample of 82 key informants from Medicaid program administrations in 48 states.

Main measures. Users of information from each of eight targeted types of quality of care measurement methods were compared with non-users based upon their levels of knowledge, perceived characteristics of quality of care information, and perceived characteristics of the policy situation.

Results. Participants indicated that some types of quality measurement methods have been useful, whereas others have not. Extent of quality assessment information use, and the measurement methods utilized, varied widely. Two factors were associated with the use of information from particular quality assessment methods: information needs of the policymakers and their perceptions of the characteristics, including strengths and weaknesses, of particular measurement methods.

Conclusions. These policymakers had positive attitudes about quality assessment, were knowledgeable about types of methods, and had a variety of potential uses for quality-related information. Yet, perceptions and experiences with different types of measurement methods varied. We describe a set of quality assessment methods with complementary characteristics that could provide a relatively inclusive picture of quality of care and better address policymaker information needs.

Keywords: healthcare quality improvement, managed care, policy making, quality information

Address reprint requests to Jacqueline J. Fickel, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street (Slot 755), Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. E-mail: jjfickel{at}uams.edu

Accepted for publication May 29, 2005.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.