The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), first published the 6 aims of healthcare1 in 2001:
- Safety: No harm should occur to patients during efforts to help them
- Effective: Care should be provided based on the scientific basis that it will help the patient. Care should be neither under-used or over-used
- Patient Centered: Care is respectful and responsive to individual patient needs and preferences. Patient’s values are used to guide clinical decisions
- Timely: Avoid harmful delays and reduce unproductive wait times for both those who receive and those who give care
- Efficient: Avoid and reduce waste of equipment, supplies, energy and ideas
- Equitable: Patient care should not vary in quality dependent on the patient’s race, ethnicity, gender, geographic location or socioeconomic status
Example:
Originally, the hospital sent electronic messages to patients over 70 years of age summoning them for their COVID-19 vaccines. After realizing that many patients did not use their patient portal with high efficiency, nor did they have reliable internet access, the process was made more equitable by allowing patients to call for an appointment.
Reference Materials
- Institute of Medicine (IOM). Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press; 2001.
Further Reading
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality https://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/measures/six-domains.html#_ftn1 Institute for Healthcare Improvement
http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/ImprovementStories/AcrosstheChasmSixAimsforChangingtheHealt hCareSystem.aspx