Eat Right Practice Exam

Which element is NOT part of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) health care quality framework?

1. Patient-centered

2. Equitable

3. Timely

4. Focused on choosing a process to improve

The correct answer is: Focused on choosing a process to improve

The element that is not part of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) health care quality framework is focused on choosing a process to improve. The IOM framework emphasizes specific dimensions essential for assessing and improving quality in health care. These dimensions include patient-centered care, equitable treatment, and timely service delivery. Patient-centered care refers to the importance of involving patients in their own care and ensuring that health services are respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values. Equitable care underscores the necessity for health services to be fair and accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity, or geographical location. Timeliness relates to the efficiency of health care services, including minimizing waits and harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care. In contrast, focusing on choosing a process to improve does not align with these established dimensions of quality. While continuous improvement is essential in health care, the IOM framework does not categorize this focus as one of its core elements. Instead, the framework seeks to outline fundamental qualities that should be inherent in a well-functioning health care system.