Total Quality Management (TQM)
There are always great opportunities to improve the performance of healthcare in organizations. In today’s economy, coupled with overwhelming changes in healthcare policy, requires solid, on-going performance improvement in healthcare. What does that mean? It means healthcare providers at every level must examine their organizations from the most strategic level on down to the simplest routine process for opportunities to streamline, improve and optimize the care given and the costs associated with that care. I will later discuss three big ideas in order based on their greatest potential benefit in the healthcare organization which includes total quality ...view middle of the document...
Though the benefits of these projects are clear, the high level of specificity, analysis, and design can make them quite resource intensive. The resource requirements involved in bringing such projects to fruition is a major challenge. In looking at the literature surrounding this topic at least one article suggests a solution. Their underlying rationale is that similar quality efforts can be synergized to achieve better results with less disruption to organizations. Six Sigma is an extension of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis that is required by JCAHO; it can be easily integrated into existing quality management efforts (Liberatore, Page 448). Such an approach would involve the integration of Six Sigma into an existing program through detailed data analysis. It would require delving into the current process examination and improvement measures on a more detailed level.
Some TQM programs may lack sufficient data collection and analysis to fully understand process variation. Six Sigma can overcome these challenges through its emphasis on understanding process variation in tandem with implementing change. This aspect of Six Sigma can make TQM more effective. "The work of Six Sigma is not unlike TQM; however, its goals are more aggressive and its methods are better defined. Using these two approaches jointly can be valuable in creating successful quality improvement programs.
Though Six Sigma provides a higher level of measurement, this is not the only aspect which can make it successful in healthcare organizations. Enhanced metrics need to be paired with skillful management in order for programs to be designed that are successful in diminishing process variation. Programs must be designed to alter structures and processes to actually produce changes in outcome. Furthermore, methods must be put in place to ensure compliance with these process changes. These tasks become the responsibility of company management and program participants, and the steps involved must be administered effectively in order to be successful. Six Sigma is guided by the DMAIC approach: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. The level of detail and reporting required by Six Sigma also pose challenges to organizations: Every component of every service needs to be reported, measured, and recorded on a regular basis. The specific challenges which are encountered depend on the type of organization involved, intervening processes, data sources, and data quality. Intervening processes may be especially complex if they involve multiple entities, several layers of interaction, and numerous methods of feedback (Ravichandran & Rai, Page 127).
Using Six Sigma in healthcare organizations has clear benefits but does not come without difficulties. In addition to the potential benefits to existing quality improvement programs, the internal benchmarking and prioritization of other projects can be improved when Six Sigma metrics are used (Tsai & Wu, Page 280). This can be...
