Patent attributes
Systems and methods are provided for facilitating management of health care in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, etc., for example by monitoring and assessing the quality of patient care. Data is collected and operated on relating to medical conditions, treatment, cost, care, events, outcomes and results of treatments, and data representing the collective experience of similar patients is mined to discover opportunities to improve the quality of health care. Statistical and comparative data and reports including such and other information indicate a quality of care and provide epidemiologically cogent information. Quality of care may be considered as achieving desired or expected norms of performance, including success, in a timely fashion, and can be judged not just by what functionally happens during a patient instigated encounter, but also by long term outcomes evidenced by the patient's passage through the health care delivery system.