Qualitätstransparenz im Gesundheitswesen: eine gesundheitsökonomische Modellbetrachtung

A key concern for a well-functioning health care system is whether competition between providers and its regulation ensures the optimal level of quality of care. Currently, quality of care is often provided inconsistently or insufficiently. There are no uniform or comprehensive approaches for defining and measuring quality, neither from a clinical nor from a patient perspective. Moreover, in economic theory, health care is classified as a credence good and, thus, is characterized by strong information asymmetries between patients, health care providers, and payers. Using classic health economic approaches, this article examines the factors influencing quality of care on both the demand and the supply side and explores current health policy measures to support the optimal level of quality of care in competition between service providers.