Organizational control of hospital infrastructure determines the quality of care.
Hospital personnel and their performance underlie all hospital facilities and patient services (the hospital infrastructure). Hence, quality patient care is not exclusively in the domain of the medical staff and must be regarded as a comprehensive responsibility of the hospital. Hospitals must establish behavioral quality systems and teach employees not only how to do their job well to meet technical quality standards, but also how to fulfill patient expectations. Critical and life threatening problems are thereon prevented or minimized, and protection of physicians and hospitals from litigation improves as a result. Governing boards must provide a role model and demand excellence of everyone, in order to improve the performance of the hospital infrastructure.
Grujic
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SD
St. Joseph Hospital and Health Care Center, Chicago, IL 60657.
O'Sullivan
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DD
Wehrmacher
W H
WH
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006075:Governing Board; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States