Measurement Categories

National Healthcare Quality Report, 2002

The National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) is a comprehensive national overview of quality of health care in the United States. It is organized around four dimensions of quality of care: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, and patient centeredness.

Measurement Categories, National Healthcare Quality Report

Effectiveness / Safety / Timeliness / Patient Centeredness

Component of Health Care Quality: Effectiveness1

Health care
needs		CancerChronic kidney
disease		DiabetesHeart
disease		HIV/AIDSMaternal and
child health		Mental healthRespiratory
diseases		Long-term
care
Staying
healthy

Screening,
breast cancer

Screening,
cervical
cancer

Screening,
colorectal
cancer

  

Screening,
blood
pressure

Screening,
cholesterol

Counseling
on risk
factors

AIDS
preven-
tion

Maternity
care

Childhood
immuni-
zations

Adolescent
immuni-
zations

Childhood
dental care

 

Influenza
immuni-
zation

Pneumo-
coccal
immuni-
zations

 
Getting
better		Cancer
treatment		  

Treatment
of AMI

Treatment
of acute
heart
failure

 Treatment
of gastro-
enteritis		Treatment
of
depression

Treatment
of
pneumonia

Treatment
of URI

 
Living with
illness or
disability		 Manage-
ment of
ESRD		Manage-
ment of
diabetes

Management of hypertension

Management of CHF

Manage-
ment of
HIV/AIDS		  Management of asthma

Nursing
facility
care

Home
health
care

End-of-
life care		Palliative
care		   Palliative
care		    

1Note: Equity is another component of health care quality that applies to each cell of the matrix.

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Components of Health Care Quality: Safety, Timeliness, Patient-Centeredness2

Health care needsSafetyTimelinessPatient
centeredness
Staying
healthy		 Basic accessPatient experience
of care
Getting
better

Complications
of care

Prescribing
medications

Getting appointments

Waiting time

 
Living with
illness or
disability		Injuries in nursing facilities  
End-of-
life care		   

2Note: Equity is another component of health care quality that applies to each cell of the matrix.

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Current as of May 2005
Internet Citation: Measurement Categories: National Healthcare Quality Report, 2002. May 2005. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqr02/categories.html