The trials, tribulations and achievements of implementing quality management

Quality initiatives in the 1960s included Mortality and Morbidity Studies. In the 1970s Retrospective Audit was developed. In the 1980s Quality Assurance was the favoured option and was strongly promoted by The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. In the 1990s the trend established across business and industrial organizations has been towards Quality Management. Health care services today are taking up this challenge and embarking on a new Quality journey. The importance of Quality Leadership in preventing frustration, rework and demotivation for individual participants of the organization should not be underestimated in implementing this Quality process.