The concept of quality of care in health policy has been receiving increased attention over the last couple of decades.  The literature on quality of care has increased three-fold since the 1990s.  Most recently, quality of care is mentioned in the context of the sustainable development goals.  Despite this universal acceptance of its importance, however, there is not a common understanding of what quality of care actually is and what it entails, let alone what needs to be done to improve it.