Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Applying a systems perspective to quality improvement training.

G L McDaniel1

  • 1Advanced Micro Devices, Austin, TX.

Journal for Healthcare Quality : Official Publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality
|February 7, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Reduction of Blood Culture Contamination Through an Evidence-Based, Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Initiative.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
Same journal

Intervention Bundle to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in a Quaternary Academic Department of Surgery.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
Same journal

Determinants of Patient-Reported Experience After Interhospital Transfer Within an Integrated Health System.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
Same journal

Streamlining Care: Effective Approaches to Decreasing Observation Status Length of Stay in Community Medical Centers.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
Same journal

Financial Stewardship and CLABSI Elimination: A Blueprint for Reliable Outcomes.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
Same journal

Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preparing for Emerging Threats.

Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality·2026
See all related articles

Healthcare organizations struggle with total quality management (TQM) initiatives due to a lack of systems thinking. Failing to view change holistically leads to disappointment with return on investment and initiative failure.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Systems Theory

Background:

  • Public and private US healthcare organizations have invested heavily in total quality management (TQM) over the last decade.
  • Despite significant financial and time investments, many organizations report dissatisfaction with the return on investment (ROI) from TQM initiatives.
  • Common challenges include improving service delivery and enhancing operational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue that a systems perspective is crucial for successful organizational change in healthcare.
  • To identify why well-intentioned quality initiatives often fail to achieve desired outcomes.
  • To highlight the role of executive staff and training professionals in these failures.

Main Methods:

  • This article presents a conceptual argument.

Related Experiment Videos

  • It analyzes common pitfalls in implementing organizational change within the healthcare sector.
  • It critiques the application of TQM principles without a holistic, systems-based approach.

    • Main Results:

    • Organizations often fail to achieve desired improvements in service delivery and operating efficiency.
    • Investments in TQM do not consistently yield satisfactory returns.
    • A lack of systems perspective is a key factor contributing to the failure of quality initiatives.

    Conclusions:

    • The failure of many TQM initiatives in healthcare stems from a failure to adopt a systems perspective.
    • Executive staff and training professionals, despite good intentions, can inadvertently undermine quality efforts.
    • Implementing TQM effectively requires a holistic understanding of the organization as an interconnected system.