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. 2007 Jan;22(1):137-9.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-006-0031-1.

Professionalism and evolving concepts of quality

Jeffrey N Katz  1 , Courtenay L Kessler, Andrew O'Connell, Sharon A Levine
Affiliations

Professionalism and evolving concepts of quality

Jeffrey N Katz et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Jan.

Abstract

For much of the twentieth century, quality of care was defined specifically in terms of physician characteristics and behaviors. High-quality physicians were well trained, knowledgeable, skillful, and compassionate. More recently, quality of care has been defined in terms of systems of care. High-quality organizations develop and adopt practices to reduce adverse events and optimize outcomes. This essay discusses this transformation from physician-based to organization-based concepts of quality and the consequences for patient care and medical professionalism.

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