Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management: Utilizing the Six Sigma Model
Ingrid Dumprey
In healthcare today, safety and quality are topics that are discussed frequently. They are integral components of patient care, and are essential for the survival of any organization. Through the utilization of total quality management, system processes can be improved. Total quality management is defined as “managing the entire organization so that it excels on all dimensions of product and services that are important to the customer” (Jacobs & Chase, 2014, p.296). In this way, there would be a reduction in costs with the achievement of better patient outcomes. Six Sigma was developed in 1986 by the Motorola Company. Since its inception, it has been primarily used as a performance improvement methodology in the business sector. It is a data-driven approach with measurable outcomes that strive to eliminate deficits. Its application to the healthcare industry has been evident in the more recent years. In this paper, I will demonstrate how the Six Sigma quality strategy can be instrumental in increasing the quality of healthcare and optimizing cost containment. Data collection and analysis is the foundation of performance improvement. It is a tool by which a facility can measure the success, or failure of their initiatives. For decades, the healthcare industry has ignored the demands for patient safety and escalating costs. The many factors that cause a decline in quality service are often preventable. The Six Sigma DMAIC is an approach to team-based problem solving, performance improvement and process redesign (Bandyopadhyay & Coppens, 2005). The acronym, DMAIC, represents the following; Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Define- define who your customers are, what their priorities are, identify a project and provide objectives
Measure- obtain metrics and determine what needs improvement.
Analyze- examine
Ingrid Dumprey
In healthcare today, safety and quality are topics that are discussed frequently. They are integral components of patient care, and are essential for the survival of any organization. Through the utilization of total quality management, system processes can be improved. Total quality management is defined as “managing the entire organization so that it excels on all dimensions of product and services that are important to the customer” (Jacobs & Chase, 2014, p.296). In this way, there would be a reduction in costs with the achievement of better patient outcomes. Six Sigma was developed in 1986 by the Motorola Company. Since its inception, it has been primarily used as a performance improvement methodology in the business sector. It is a data-driven approach with measurable outcomes that strive to eliminate deficits. Its application to the healthcare industry has been evident in the more recent years. In this paper, I will demonstrate how the Six Sigma quality strategy can be instrumental in increasing the quality of healthcare and optimizing cost containment. Data collection and analysis is the foundation of performance improvement. It is a tool by which a facility can measure the success, or failure of their initiatives. For decades, the healthcare industry has ignored the demands for patient safety and escalating costs. The many factors that cause a decline in quality service are often preventable. The Six Sigma DMAIC is an approach to team-based problem solving, performance improvement and process redesign (Bandyopadhyay & Coppens, 2005). The acronym, DMAIC, represents the following; Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Define- define who your customers are, what their priorities are, identify a project and provide objectives
Measure- obtain metrics and determine what needs improvement.
Analyze- examine
References: Bandyopadhyay, J., & Coppens, K. (2005). Six Sigma approach to healthcare quality and productivity management. International Journal of Quality and Productivity Management, 5(1), 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.isqpm.org/2005%20Journal/Six%20Sigma%20Approach%20to%20Health%20Carel%20Quality%20Management-revised-1%20by%20Jay%20Bandyopadhyay%20and%20Karen%20Coppens.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) Catheter-associate urinary tract infection (CAUTI) toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/toolkits/CAUTItoolkit_3_10.pdf Inweregbu, K., Dave, J., & Pittard, A. (2005). Nosocomial infections. British Journal of Anaesthesia, (5)1, 14-17. doi: 10.1093/bjaceaccp/mki006 Jacobs, R. & Chase, R. (2014). Operations and supply chain management. (14th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.