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Quality and Performance Improvement

This area deals with the development, implementation, and evaluation of organizational accountability including TQM/CQI programs, quality assessment and assurance philosophies, policies, programs, and procedures.

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Three Principles of Total Quality

Posted by: Felicia Bolden Mobley on November 3, 2009 at 1:02PM EST

The study materials tell us that there are three principles to total quality:

1) Customer Focus

2) Continuous Improvement

3) Teamwork

Of these three, in healthcare, which do you think is most important? In my opinion I think teamwork is most important. I say this because a team that is cohesive, motivated, and communicating can help facilitate quality outcomes. Too often, employees are pointing fingers and/or disgruntled that they forget their purpose- to serve the customer( pateints). Through effective management of teams and the inclusion of the perspectives of the "hands-on" staff, total quality can not only be acheived but sustained.

What are your thoughts?

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(5) Comments

Posted by: Shannon Schulz on November 3, 2009 9:23PM EST

I am not sure you can say one is more important that another, but I do believe a strong team can conquer just about anything. Press Ganey showed a very strong correlation to the question, "team worked well together" with the overall patient satisfaction rating score. With ability to communicate about anything...a team can produce high quality care with an above average level of accountability and engagement.

Posted by: Patrick Murtha on November 5, 2009 5:42PM EST

I think Customer Focus is most important - since it drives everything. I also strongly believe that "continuous improvement" and "teamwork"should each be looked upon in fact as tactics - to achieve optimal customer focused-type behaviors in an organization. These attributes must also be addressed within the organization's strategic planning roadmap and identified as measurable outcomes and/or objectives with related timetables and resource requirements.

Pat Murtha
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Pat Murtha

Posted by: Sandra Evans on November 6, 2009 12:31PM EST

When everyone is "customer focused", all the other tactics will be aligned to achieve whatever the goal(s) may be.

Posted by: Isis Hanna on November 9, 2009 8:24PM EST

There is a correlation between the three. A strong team will work well on providing excellent customer service and will always look for new ways to improve what they do. However, I think continuous improvement is the key. Continuous improvement will lead to finding new ways for team members to work well together and will also lead to finding ways to improve customer service.

Posted by: Jane Severs on January 21, 2010 3:51PM EST

I agree that all three are extremely important to a well-functioning organization. Does anyone have any ideas on how to best measure "teamwork" in quantifiable terms? The others are more standardized with core measures and press-ganey surveys.