title: Quality control circles in the Veterans Administration hospital.
abstract: In response to residents' reports of inefficiencies in the Veterans Administration (VA) system, a temporary task force of quality control circles was implemented at a VA hospital. A total of 25 internal medicine residents, on rotation at the VA, were subdivided into four groups. Each group was presented with a different problem, given the components and constraints of the problem, and asked to identify possible solutions. Program results were submitted to the hospital administration. Efforts are now being made to improve the working environment for medical residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canel
authors.forename: Sukran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadipasaoglu
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D008332:Management Quality Circles / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011340:Problem Solving; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs