This report presents a policy- and methodology-oriented discussion of factors involved in developing and analyzing quality assurance in European health care. Data are taken from research literature and interviews with representatives of national health authorities, professional organizations, and research and educational institutions. The first chapter of this report discusses a suggested conceptual framework, for a program of health care quality assurance, derived from evaluative research and industrial quality control. The second, third, and fourth chapters deal with three major variables in the framework: environment, conceptualization, and methodology. Examples of different approaches to quality assurance are given, and sources of information and measurement instruments and criteria are examined. The fifth chapter presents conclusions concerning the trends and state of quality assurance in health care. A bibliography of 179 items is appended. (FG)