title: Toward a general procedure for quality improvement: the double track process.
abstract: Quality improvement efforts are the focus of leaders in many fields. While we have emerging examples of successful efforts we have fewer presentations of the pathways to follow. This paper offers a general procedure based on a Double Track model. Two procedural processes are offered: (1) at the whole organization level, Track 1, as a strategic means to quality improvement; and (2) at the project level, Track 2, for an operational path to quality improvement work at the team level. It is suggested that successful efforts follow this Double Track effort already and that further identification and elaboration of the pathway will speed diffusion of quality improvement efforts.
authors.affiliation: Penn State University, Harrisburg.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ziegenfuss
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D007857:Leadership; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009874:Operations Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010934:Planning Techniques; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*