Published more than 30 years ago, this historic book provides a sound basis for understanding the concept of healthcare quality. It covers the definition of quality and the basic approaches to how it is assessed. This book, originally published in 1980, was the first of three volumes on healthcare quality written by Dr. Avedis Donabedian. This book covers: Quality definitions Monetary cost and the quality of care Quality assessment and program evaluation Accessibility, continuity, and coordination of qualtiy The client's view of quality The provider's view of quality Structure, process, and outcome of quality assessment Contributions to innovation in medical care.