Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Care

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Summary: Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Care
Review: Book review: Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Care: Theory, Implementation and Applications 2nd edition by McLaughlin and Kaluzny

Both authors have impressive backgrounds in health policy and administration. Part I of this book has two introductory chapters defining quality improvement and discussing total quality management and continuous quality improvement. Part II contains four basic chapters about the outcome model, measurement and statistical analysis and continuous learning. Flowcharts or diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, checksheets, Pareto diagrams or charts, histograms, run charts, regression analysis, and control charts are discussed in detail. Part III is about implementation and has five chapters about transformation, the process of implementation, information management and technology, collaboration, and focusing on health professional development. The six chapters in Part IV are about application in primary care, managed care, research organizations, public health, academic health centers, and with patient centered care. Part V, illustration, presents seven case studies. There is an extensive bibliography, list of sources, and index. This book is particularly useful for graduate students studying health care. The didactic content is illustrated in several settings and case studies.