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Fifteen years after the publication of Institute of Medicine’s landmark report To Err is Human, healthcare process improvement (PI) is finally beginning to take root. Quality improvement (QI) has become a pillar of healthcare for both academic clinicians and private practice alike.
The workhorse of the Donebedian adage of “structure + process = outcome” is on standardization. In a world of static, well-defined products, proper application of PI can dramatically reduce variability.
While incremental improvement continues to be necessary in healthcare – we are a long way away from a six-sigma industry – continued standardization and scientific research alone are no longer sufficient to evolve healthcare.
