International journal of health care quality assurance incorporating Leadership in health services
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Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv · Jan 2000
Clinical governance is "ACE"--using the EFQM excellence model to support baseline assessment.
The introduction of clinical governance in the "new NHS" means that National Health Service (NHS) organisations are now accountable for the quality of the services they provide to their local communities. As part of the implementation of clinical governance in the NHS, Trusts and health authorities had to complete a baseline assessment of their capability and capacity by September 1999. Describes one Trust's approach to developing and implementing its baseline assessment tool, based upon its existing use of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. An initial review of the process suggests that the model provides an adaptable framework for the development of a comprehensive and practical assessment tool and that self-assessment ensures ownership of action plans at service level.
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Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv · Jan 2000
A study of patients' expectations and satisfaction in Singapore hospitals.
In today's highly competitive healthcare environment, hospitals increasingly realise the need to focus on service quality as a means to improve their competitive position. Customer-based determinants and perceptions of service quality therefore play an important role when choosing a hospital. ⋯ An analysis covering 252 patients revealed that there was an overall service quality gap between patients' expectations and perceptions. Thus, improvements are required across all the six dimensions, namely, tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and accessibility and affordability.
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Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv · Jan 2000
The economics of quality--a practical approach.
How much time and money should we devote to quality activities? Will the results be worth the resources which we invest? How can we calculate the return on our quality investments? These questions are raised by managers, clinicians and policy-makers, but they are rarely answered, which may explain the loss of credibility of some quality activities. This paper gives examples of the cost of poor quality, describes and illustrates a simple method for quality costing, and discusses the economics of quality. It considers why there is little research and teaching about the subject, and proposes how managers and clinicians can take a more economically-informed approach to quality in public healthcare.