TY - JOUR
T1 - Definitions of health and social care standards used internationally
T2 - A narrative review
AU - Kelly, Yvonne
AU - O'Rourke, Niamh
AU - Flynn, Rachel
AU - Hegarty, Josephine
AU - O'Connor, Laura
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Setting standards is a quality improvement mechanism and an important means for shaping the provision of health and social care services. Standards comprise statements describing a process or outcome of care. Setting standards is a global practice. It would be useful to have an understanding of the underpinning definitions of standards used internationally. Therefore, the aim of this review was to examine definitions of health and social care standards used internationally and identify similarities and differences. A targeted grey literature search of standard-setting bodies' websites and related health legislation was conducted to retrieve explicit definitions of standards. Of 15 standard-setting bodies that were searched, 12 definitions of standards were narratively synthesised. Terms that appeared in two or more of the definitions were extracted. Counts and percentages were calculated for these terms to determine magnitude of use. The commonalities among definitions included ‘quality’ (n = 6, 50%), ‘statements’ (n = 5, 42%), ‘performance’ (n = 5, 42%), and ‘measureable’ (n = 4, 33%). The less commonly used terms were ‘processes’ (n = 3, 25%), ‘set’ (n = 3, 25%), ‘evidence based’ (n = 2, 17%), ‘outcome’ (n = 2, 17%), ‘safe’ (n = 2, 17%), and ‘guidance’ (n = 2, 17%). Explicit definitions of standards were not retrieved from health legislation documents. Standard-setting bodies develop standards in the context of the health systems in which they are implemented; some are aspirational levels of quality, while others are minimum levels of quality. Researchers, standards developers and policy makers should be cognisant of this when comparing standards between countries.
AB - Setting standards is a quality improvement mechanism and an important means for shaping the provision of health and social care services. Standards comprise statements describing a process or outcome of care. Setting standards is a global practice. It would be useful to have an understanding of the underpinning definitions of standards used internationally. Therefore, the aim of this review was to examine definitions of health and social care standards used internationally and identify similarities and differences. A targeted grey literature search of standard-setting bodies' websites and related health legislation was conducted to retrieve explicit definitions of standards. Of 15 standard-setting bodies that were searched, 12 definitions of standards were narratively synthesised. Terms that appeared in two or more of the definitions were extracted. Counts and percentages were calculated for these terms to determine magnitude of use. The commonalities among definitions included ‘quality’ (n = 6, 50%), ‘statements’ (n = 5, 42%), ‘performance’ (n = 5, 42%), and ‘measureable’ (n = 4, 33%). The less commonly used terms were ‘processes’ (n = 3, 25%), ‘set’ (n = 3, 25%), ‘evidence based’ (n = 2, 17%), ‘outcome’ (n = 2, 17%), ‘safe’ (n = 2, 17%), and ‘guidance’ (n = 2, 17%). Explicit definitions of standards were not retrieved from health legislation documents. Standard-setting bodies develop standards in the context of the health systems in which they are implemented; some are aspirational levels of quality, while others are minimum levels of quality. Researchers, standards developers and policy makers should be cognisant of this when comparing standards between countries.
KW - Definition
KW - Health care
KW - Inspection
KW - Legislation
KW - Quality improvement
KW - Social care
KW - Standards
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=pureapplicaion&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:000855719400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
U2 - 10.1002/hpm.3573
DO - 10.1002/hpm.3573
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36128602
SN - 0749-6753
VL - 38
SP - 40
EP - 52
JO - International Journal of Health Planning and Management
JF - International Journal of Health Planning and Management
IS - 1
ER -