Healthcare systems engineering: an interdisciplinary approach to achieving continuous improvement.
This paper argues that a systems approach can significantly enhance healthcare improvement efforts in patient safety, service quality and healthcare cost containment. The application of systems thinking to healthcare improvement encompasses three key principles: the systems perspective of healthcare processes, structured problem solving and the closed loop of continuous system improvement. These are encapsulated in a conceptual framework of continuous system improvement, which includes a reference architecture model and an analysis and design process model. Combined into a closed-loop, this framework allows users to understand and appropriately apply relevant functions, issues and analytical techniques. Practical applications of the framework are presented.
Wu
Bin
B
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. WuBi@missouri.edu
Klein
Cerry
C
Stone
Tamara T
TT
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D017751:Safety Management; D013597:Systems Analysis; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods*