1. Safe -- avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them.

2. 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, respectively).

3. Patient-centered -- providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.

4. Timely -- reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care.

5. Efficient -- avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and energy.

6. Equitable -- providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.