The quadrants of care model for health services planning

Abstract

Good policy and planning in healthcare require an accurate picture of 3 key elements. First are the needs and expectations of the healthcare consumer. Second is an accurate understanding of health system resources. Last are the structure and range of options for therapeutic relationships between patients and health systems. Though they are not often explicitly described in health services research, assumptions that underlie policy and planning can enhance or constrain the ability to create efficient and high-quality care. This article proposes a quadrant conceptualization of healthcare needs known as the quadrants of care model to help planners more explicitly see the wide range of relationships needed for efficient matching of patient needs with health system resources. Application of the model to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Family Medicine practice is used to demonstrate its applicability in practice analysis and creating systematic change. Copyright 2005 by the Educational Publishing Foundation.