Health care quality problems in Ohio: analysis by diagnosis related groups.

Quality problems occur throughout the health care system, regardless of the disease or diagnosis. Peer review groups and health care organizations can take advantage of this finding to design quality improvement programs that will have a greater impact on health care quality than traditional quality assurance programs. Problems associated with high volume diagnoses or high risk procedures can be analyzed with the understanding that lessons learned in those examinations can be applied to many other aspects of health care. Continuous quality improvement can be implemented, using specific indicators and criteria as models for the overall factors contributing to quality in the health care system. Quality improvement experts estimate that the majority of all quality problems originate in the system, rather than in the performance of individuals. An in-depth analysis of our hospital and health care systems, complementing the performance-based quality assurance programs already in place, will facilitate the comprehensive improvement of quality throughout our health care institutions.