Beyond Quality Assurance: Committing to Quality Improvement

The improvement of quality is becoming increasingly important for health care laboratories in today's competitive marketplace. Quality improvement requires new management practices that go beyond present quality assurance practices. Quality improvement is accomplished by solving problems that currently limit laboratory performance. Problem solving is promoted through participative mechanisms such as management project teams, voluntary quality teams, and suggestion programs. Implementation requires a careful plan for supporting the development and growth of these problem-solving mechanisms. New skills, tools, and techniques are required to assure the success of problem-solving teams. Additional training must be provided to enhance and expand laboratorians’ problem-solving skills. Continuous quality improvement provides a management strategy for satisfying customers with improved quality, satisfying laboratorians with improved quality of work life, and satisfying management with improved productivity and reduced costs.