Measuring quality in health care reform.

President Clinton's American Health Security Act of 1993 is based on six principles: security, savings, simplicity, quality, choice, and responsibility. All six relate to maintaining or enhancing the quality of care. Recognizing the importance of the clinical maxim of first doing no harm, the Administration seeks to safeguard quality by ensuring accessibility to care, improving knowledge, fostering the synthesis of information into clinical practice guidelines, and seeking information on the performance of health plans. Annual report cards will help providers and plans monitor and improve the quality of their care, while enabling consumers to make informed decisions about enrolling in plans.