Healthcare Quality Report Cards

Healthcare quality report cards have been said to help stimulate or raise the standard of care by enabling healthcare providers to deliver cost-effective care without sacrificing quality. This ensures that healthcare consumers get the required standard of care even as healthcare providers control their costs. A range of mechanisms are being used in the United States and the United Kingdom to achieve this aim, which include economic competition; performance management with or without incentives or appeals to the professional interest of those working in health care. The report cards also can increase the accountability of health care organizations, professionals, and managers. This greater accountability offers patients, payers, and purchasers a more informed basis to hold providers accountable, either directly through purchasing and treatment decisions or indirectly through political processes.