title: Striving for excellence through quality improvement.
abstract: Numerous factors are affecting health care services today, including increased consumer awareness; growth of medical technology; rising costs and an unpredictable financial market; a continued shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses; and a shift of many services from inpatient to outpatient settings. As a result, American health care is undergoing rapid change. This article explores how one management concept--quality improvement--can help foster innovative, effective, and efficient change in today's health care organizations.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D009729:Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States