title: Infant metabolic screening: a total quality management approach.
abstract: The principles of total quality management (TQM) were used to improve the infant metabolic screening program in a large urban hospital. Three quality indicators needed improvement; unsatisfactory specimen quality, delayed delivery to the state laboratory for testing, and specimen slips missing the date of collection. A multidisciplinary team identified the root causes of the poor quality and implemented remedies. Dramatic improvement in three infant screening indicators occurred within a 4-month period. Evaluation of the three indicators continued for the following 3-year period. Quality improvement programs that involve a multidisciplinary approach benefit the patient and staff and may reduce costs.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Regional Hospital, Hollywood, FL, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Forsberg
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011367:Professional Staff Committees; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*