Patient Accountability and Quality of Care: Lessons From Medical Consumerism and the Patients’ Rights, Women’s Health and Disability Rights Movements

Abstract

This article contrasts the prevailing model for assessing and improving medical care—the quality of care paradigm—with an alternative approach—the patient accountability paradigm. The first approach is technocratic: it measures and promotes the quality of medical care through technical and objective means. It relies on outside experts, analysis of data and protocols, and impersonal judgements of professionals to guide decisions. The second approach guides physicians and providers and subjects them to patient control. It enlists the participation of patients and consumers to evaluate and change the medical care system and to promote the rights and choices of patients and consumers. The strengths and limitations of the patient accountability approach are illustrated by four movements: 1) the patients’ rights movement; 2) medical consumerism; 3) the women’s health movement; and 4) the disability rights movement.