Continuous quality improvement: at the grassroots.
As a philosophy and a belief system, continuous quality improvement (CQI) provides the basis for organizational commitment to strategic leadership, customer focus, an empowered workforce, and reliance on evidence to improve processes and outcomes. This paper describes the process engaged in by the hemodialysis unit at St. Joseph's Health Care, London to formalize our CQI processes. The paper emphasizes: the selection of outcome measures, the strategies to link outcomes to improvement opportunities, and the resulting improvement projects. The formal commitment to CQI has affected both patient care and staff morale in many positive ways.
Bogdanski
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Adam Linton Dialysis Unit, London Health Sciences Centre, Westminster Campus, London, Ontario.
Locking-Cusolito
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D006436:Hemodialysis Units, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*