Adapted from The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Children’s Wisconsin defines quality as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. To assess the quality of our services, the organization utilizes the following dimensions of quality to ensure we are meeting the needs of our patients and families:

1. Safe: Avoiding injuries from the care that is intended to help
2. Timely: Reducing waits and sometimes unfavorable delays for both those who receive and those who give care
3. Effective: Providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse) — doing the right thing for the right person at the right time
4. Efficient: Avoiding waste, in particular waste of equipment, supplies, ideas and energy
5. Equitable: Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location and socio-economic status
6. Patient-centered (Child/Family/Client): Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual preferences, needs and values and ensuring that patient/family/client values guide all clinical and operational decisions