Core quality and associated supportive quality parameters: a conceptual quality framework in healthcare establishment

A method of quality applicable mainly to goods and services of non-healthcare sector cannot be applied without modification or adaptation to healthcare especially in healthcare establishments and hospitals which deal with living beings as patients who themselves are the most critical input influencing the outcome of healthcare services. Therefore, an attempt has been made in this article to identify and conceptualise quality parameters/dimensions in healthcare establishment (HCE) at professional technical level, i.e., core quality as well as at supportive managerial level, i.e., associated supportive quality parameters/dimensions to achieve synergy for maintaining patient care with optimum satisfaction. Thus, a list of parameters have been evolved for these quality dimensions which have been studied in a 440 bed multi-specialty government hospital of North India thereby validating the parameters with acceptance of these quality dimensions by the hospital staff appreciating its practical utility for patient care both from professional technical and management point of view. Finally, the recommendations, limitations, future applications, and prospects are presented in the end.