Page 61 - npqh NATIONAL POLICY FOR QUALITY IN HEALTHCARE : Bridging Silos, Accelerating Improvements 2022-2026

National Policy for Quality in Healthcare
Bridging Silos, Accelerating Improvements

3.5 Bringing Clarity to “Quality” in the Malaysian

Context

Quality is interpreted differently by service providers, patients and other main
stakeholders involved in the healthcare system, leading to the use of different quality
assessment approaches. Therefore, having a succinct and well-accepted local definition
of high-quality healthcare is crucial to uniting the viewpoints of both patients and
health care providers, providing a common frame of reference for stakeholders to
measure, compare against set standards and subsequently, to improve the quality of
our healthcare services. This overarching framework informs all activities undertaken
in pursuit of quality. In particular, measurement, monitoring and evaluation of the
health system performance should be congruent with this quality definition.

An extensive review of the relevant documents revealed that within our local context,
no explicit written definition of quality of healthcare exists. Concepts articulated in
earlier documents address quality in healthcare within the MOH’s mission statement
below:

The mission of the Ministry of Health is to lead and work in partnership:

i. to facilitate and support the people to:
• attain fully their potential in health
• appreciate health as a valuable asset
• take individual responsibility and positive action for their health
ii. to ensure a high-quality health system that is:
• customer centred
• equitable
• affordable
• efficient
• technologically appropriate
• environmentally adaptable
• innovative

iii. with emphasis on:
• professionalism, caring and teamwork value
• respect for human dignity
• community participation

59