Quality of care in head and neck cancer.

Improving the quality of health care has become a national priority, as indicated by the establishment of multiple federal initiatives and by the actions of national medical societies and the American Board of Medical Specialties. Health care can be assessed in each of three dimensions: structure, process, and outcomes. Here we review recent efforts to evaluate the quality of care delivered to head and neck cancer patients and to develop methods for improvement and continual assessment, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation of process of care.