[Significant medical quality concepts in a clinical context].

For centuries, doctors have been working continuously on improving clinical practice, but there has not been the same focus on improving the organization of health care. Many doctors still believe that quality improvement only applies to medical practice. This is no longer so. Present day medical quality improvement includes both clinical practice and the health care system. The principles relating to quality systems describe the strategies and practical accomplishment of changes to improve the quality of care. These common principles should be applied to clinical practice, to how the systems work and to interpersonal relationships in health care. Norwegian medical quality assessment is encountering problems with language and definitions. A common understanding and use of standard terms is still lacking. This may be one reason why the medical profession is still unfamiliar with quality assessment as a method for the continuous improvement of health care. Using a clinical example, this article discusses the understanding and use of five important terms in quality assessment: quality, clinical guidelines, indicators, criteria, and standards.