title: Total quality in acute care hospitals: guidelines for hospital managers.
abstract: Quality improvement can not focus exclusively on peer review and the scientific evaluation of medical care processes. These essential elements have to be complemented with a focus on individual patient needs and preferences. Only then will hospitals create the competitive advantage needed to survive in an increasingly market-driven hospital industry. Hospital managers can identify these patients' needs by 'living the patient experience' and should then set the hospital's quality objectives according to its target patients and their needs. Excellent quality program design, however, is not sufficient. Successful implementation of a quality improvement program further requires fundamental changes in pivotal jobholders' behavior and mindset and in the supporting organizational design elements.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Holthof
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D003363:Cost Control; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000592:standards; D009936:Organizational Innovation / Q000191:economics; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*