Should interventions to reduce variation in care quality target doctors or hospitals?

Large variations in the quality of health care have been reported over many years, and in many countries [1,2]. Policymakers and professional bodies have responded to such variations with a variety of mechanisms including measurement ( ‘profiling’), monitoring, public reporting, regulation and incentives (financial and non-financial) [3,4]. These interventions have mostly been focused on organisational performance, particularly at the level of the hospital or clinical specialty, with the implicit assumption that the variation results from factors that can be influenced or affected by organisations and those who lead them.

Source: Health Policy - April 13, 2018 Category: Health Management Authors: Nils Gutacker, Karen Bloor, Chris Bojke, Kieran Walshe Source Type: research