Which component is NOT evaluated when determining the quality of health care?

In evaluating the quality of healthcare, various components are typically considered to provide a comprehensive picture. These components include structure, process, and outcome.

Structure refers to the attributes of the settings where care occurs, such as the facilities, equipment, and the qualifications of the health care providers. Process involves the methods of delivering care and the specific ways in which services are provided to patients. Outcome relates to the consequences of care, including health status changes, recovery rates, and overall effectiveness of the interventions.

While patient satisfaction is an important aspect of healthcare delivery and can influence perceptions of quality, it is not typically categorized as a direct component of the quality assessment frameworks that focus primarily on clinical and operational factors. Therefore, the evaluation of quality care traditionally emphasizes structure, process, and outcome rather than patient satisfaction, making it distinct from the other components traditionally used in these assessments.