Total quality management: field of dreams?
Total quality management promises to reconcile cost/quality conflicts, increase customer satisfaction, and improve hospitals' competitiveness as well as operational and financial performance. This article reviews the hospital literature on TQM and concludes that there is little evidence to substantiate these claims. The article concludes with implications for research and management.
Bigelow
B
B
Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA.
Arndt
M
M
D004465:Economic Competition; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011340:Problem Solving; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States