Business coalitions on health care. An evolution from cost containment to quality improvement

Business coalitions on health were unable to achieve community wide savings in health care costs in the 1980s. Some coalitions are using TQM/CQI to achieve high quality health care at a reduced cost. Although too recent to determine its success, the use of TQM/CQI in employer-provider partnerships built on trust and good data systems may be the best hope for private sector health care system reform. Health professionals knowledgeable about TQM/CQI can play an important role in helping their employers make new relationships with health care providers work.