Quality measurement refers to the standard set of parameters that help measure the quality of a healthcare provider’s performance. In fact, quality is quite a subjective concept that is difficult to calculate and define reasonably (OECD, 2013). Therefore, the quality is rarely analyzed by competition authorities (OECD, 2013). Another problem is that macroeconomic theory cannot define the link between change in the level of competition and quality (OECD, 2013). Thus, the role of competition in the future of quality measurement is underexplored.
The role of antitrust laws in the promotion of quality measurement is twofold. Although the antitrust laws can help fix issues in some areas, natural monopolies suffer from strict regulations, which reduce the quality of healthcare (Kumar, 2019). It depends on the context because antitrust laws can both foster and diminish the healthcare system’s performance. As for alternative factors, the scientific achievements and price effects are important (Nash, et al., 2019). While the price effects are quite operational and useful in quality measurement practices, the history of previous scientific achievements shows that they also impact quality measurement.
Quality measurement and its perspectives are a debatable topic in the academic field. One of the recommendations for discussion is the analysis of possible implementations of quality measurement in real healthcare practice. According to Nash et al. (2019), the healthcare community has well-defined quality measurement techniques, while the implementation remains insufficient. Another way to discuss quality measurements is to try to describe the appropriate antitrust policies that will positively affect healthcare quality. While antitrust policies can foster competition in the areas where it will lead to increased quality, some areas are damaged by them because of tough restrictions. Thus, some policy recommendations can be formulated based on the previous research.
References
American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Insulin pumps: Relief and choice. Web.
Kumar, P. D. (2019). Antitrust laws: Evolving trends. Physician Leadership Journal, 6(3).
Nash, D. B., Joshi, M., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools. Health Administration Press.
OECD. (2013). The role and measurement of quality in competition analysis. OECD Policy Roundtables.