Avoiding the performance improvement trap.
Hospitals today can all too easily fall into a performance improvement trap if they do not adequately consider how best to approach efforts to improve performance. To ensure that such efforts will be effective, hospital leaders should first understand the reasons why an organization can stumble into this trap. Reasons that improvement initiatives can fall short include the absence of coherent strategy, an inability to distinguish between action and results, and a disjointed use of performance improvement tools in isolation rather than as part of a coordinated effort.
Catalyst Management Advisors, Grand Rapids, Mich., USA. rbetka@catalystadvise.com
Robert D
RD
Betka
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States