quality improvement
Making things better
Quality improvement is the systematic effort to make processes, products, or services better over time.
In healthcare, it refers to structured approaches for enhancing patient outcomes and reducing errors: The hospital launched a quality improvement initiative to reduce infection rates.
In business, it encompasses methodologies like Six Sigma or continuous improvement programs.
The phrase emphasizes incremental, measurable progress rather than wholesale change.
- operational efficiencySmooth, waste-free functioning
- KaizenOngoing incremental enhancement philosophy
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- patient-centered careHealthcare respecting individual priorities
- strategic planningDefining organizational direction systematically
Six Sigma · outcomes · customer feedback · accountability · ethical standards · key performance indicators · measure · corrective action · inspect · adjust · fix · check · leadership · continuous · refinement · standards · performance · process
- Healthcare Managementnurse manager, director of nursing, charge nurse, head nurse, nurse supervisor
- value-based carecapitation, pay for performance, risk sharing, patient outcomes, clinical outcomes
- research methodsexperiment, hypothesis, deduction, experiments, induction
- productivity boostersefficiency gains, automation, streamlining, time savings, performance boost
- Accreditationsite visits, credentialing, corrective action, privileging
- clinical skillsauscultation, palpation, percussion, physical exam, patient assessment
quality improvementdeterioration
Process of declining quality
downgrading · regression · debasement · worsening · decay
quality improvementstatus quo
Existing condition of affairs
stagnation · complacency · inertia · standing pat · standing still
quality improvementnegligence
Failure to exercise care
cost-cutting · deferred maintenance · planned obsolescence · shoddy workmanship · mismanagement