Implementation of Total Quality Management Principles in Public Health Institutes in the Republic of Croatia

Due to the growing prominence of quality management systems in health, this article presents the theoretical background and the results of an empirical study conducted among the Institutes of public health in the Republic of Croatia, with the aim to determine the level of implementation of TQM principles. The research was based on a questionnaire built on the Kanji model. According to the quality managers' perception, all analyzed TQM principles have been implemented at high level. Although in general a high level of implementation exists, certain TQM principles have been implemented to a larger extent than others. The research was also focused on finding if the difference among QM managers' perceptions exists depending on the status of ISO 9001 (implemented/not implemented/plan to implement). The differences were found in relation to the activities connected with people-based management and continuous improvement. Based on the research results, specific areas of improvement, i.e. activities that foster implementation of TQM principles, are emphasized.