Planning for quality

By being aware of one another's needs and roles in the process--even when situations changed--the system remained clear and supported change. We learned that when we see each other as customers and fully understand our customers' needs, our processes then acquire the adaptability they need to truly individualize patient care. The project team has continued to meet sporadically over the past year to improve the care processes for these patients. Elements of both the process and patient outcomes are being monitored as well. We feel that the application of CQI concepts and methods aided us in planning for quality. The encouragement this experience brought prompted us to become even more committed to full implementation of TQM. We now have a two-year training program underway to involve every employee and physician. Project teams are working on other processes such as preoperative teaching and vendor selection. We are beginning to appreciate the fundamental change that occurs when we plan for quality.