Confidence in responsible care? The effects of performance indicators and moral issues associated with their use

Social pressure to get more information about the quality of health care is increasing. This has also become a major priority for Government policy in recent years. The idea is for 'performance indicators' to be used to demonstrate the quality of care and allow comparisons to be drawn, so that all parties concerned can immediately see where care is up to scratch and where it is deficient. This process has two aims: transparency, and improving quality. Society must be able to see how public funds invested in healthcare are spent. This should offer choice to patients and insurance firms, and encourage healthcare providers and professionals to improve the quality of the care they provide.