Conflicts experienced by quality assurance/improvement professionals: A Delphi study

A Delphi survey was conducted to investigate the frequency and importance of conflicts identified by quality assurance/improvement professionals as well as the actions taken and resources used to deal with the conflicts. Responses to three rounds of the Delphi survey from 86 participants indicated that the predominant conflicts involved intrapersonal concerns, such as worry about the future, interpersonal and political barriers to change in quality work, and, rarely, ethical conflicts. A variety of collaborative and educational strategies were used to deal with conflicts. Results may be useful to examine from the perspective of health care professionals currently involved in quality work.