This is a time in history when the concept of Quality is reaching new highs in terms of public awareness. Articles describing quality, CQI, quality tools, critical success factors, failures, and lessons learned appear in local news papers, trade journals, scientific periodicals, and professional publications on a daily basis, yet implementation of a quality system in many hospital units is approached with caution and the basic tenants of quality systems and CQI continue to be misunderstood. In the United States, today, the public debate on healthcare issues rages on. The application of strategies, such as cost-benefit analysis as a means of new technologies to the healthcare cost structure has for evaluating addition not succeeded in curbing the rise in costs of healthcare services. of this focused attention by third-party payers, federal and state Because governments, and insurance companies, healthcare organizations are being of the strategies for changing involves implementing pressured to change. One quality assurance practices. The focus on quality should produce improvements in productivity, innovation, and profitability. But, most importantly, the desired outcome of a quality assurance program is self-improvement.
