Understanding Quality

What You Need to Know

The term “quality” can be defined in any number of ways. For a healthcare professional, quality may mean, “did we insert that line into the bloodstream using a sterile technique” or, “can we administer the right tests to rapidly confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia and begin antibiotic treatment immediately.” For a patient, it might mean “did the staff respond to my call bell quickly” or, “did my doctor take the time to explain my procedure and answer my questions.” All of these aspects translate to quality and patient safety, and all are vital in ensuring a superior patient experience.

At Main Line Health, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of quality care, and we want our record to be transparent to our patients and to the community. We know that as an informed patient, you will make better decisions about the healthcare providers you choose, and participate more effectively in your own care and treatment.

In addition to publishing our own Main Line Health Quality Scorecard, there are several reports available to the public that measure how hospitals perform in the area of quality and patient safety. To help you learn more, we have listed several federal and state resources that provide specific information on outcomes for a diagnosis or procedure down to the specific hospital level.

• Hospital Compare provides patient satisfaction reports based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey—a national survey sent to a random sampling of recently discharged patients. This survey process was designed to collect and publically report feedback based directly on the patient’s perspective of hospital care.

• Pennsylvania Health Care Quality Alliance was developed by an alliance of healthcare providers and insurers.  PHCQA’s mission is to improve the quality of patient health by:

  • developing a consistent statewide approach to hospitals by enabling consumers to compare hospital performance;
  • allowing healthcare professionals to evaluate and improve the quality of the patient care; and
  • helping insurers to evaluate the performance of their provider networks. 

• Main Line Health is especially proud to be an active member of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). Having secured a grant from the Partnership for Patients — a national, public-private partnership aimed at improving the quality, safety, and affordability of healthcare for all Americans—HAP is a premier collaborator in this groundbreaking initiative. To learn more about how the Partnership for Patients is significantly improving healthcare across the commonwealth, we encourage you to access HAP’s quality and patient safety report, Pennsylvania Hospital Quality: Achieving More Together.