Is Total Quality Management/Continous Quality Improvement or Quality Assurance Applicable in Health Services?

Volume 2, Issue 1
ANDI INDAHWATY SIDIN

Published online: 16 March 2016

Article Views: 41

Abstract

Health services provide many services which entail technology and interpersonal processes. Manufacturing is not so involved in interpersonal processes. The health care labor force has characteristics that influence the organizational culture. One major characteristic is the domination of physicians who are decision-makers in terms of medical care. The workforce in healthcare organizations, hospitals, for example, are multidisciplinary, such as general practitioners, nurses, therapists, pharmacists ,specialists, administrators, finance officers, and managers, while the manufacturing workforce is likely to be homogenous. The goal of health services is not necessarily to gain profit; the most important is to increase peoples health status so that quality is more focused on accessibility, affordability, and appropriateness. However, the industry is likely to have homogenous processes, and the goal is to gain profit. Therefore, health services may require special consideration in implementing quality management tools. It may adjust the TQM/CQI/QA principle to conform to health services characteristics.

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To Cite this article

A. I. Sindin, “Is total quality management/continous quality improvement or quality assurance applicable in health services?” International Journal of Health and Medical Sciences, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 7-12, 2016.