A Systems Approach to Quality in Health Care

The health care environment in the 1990s can be characterized by escalating costs, budgetary constraints, medicolegal pressures and increased consumer demands. Provider accountability and value versus cost are two issues that will remain on the forefront of debate. These issues require providers to incorporate administrative Issues with care issues. The health care cost crisis continues to be the driving force behind defining outcomes of care. Outcomes are essential to defining the value and quality of care provided. Faced with intense economic pressures and consumer demands, health care organizations are being pushed to define quality In terms of outcomes. Time limitations have encouraged some health care leaders to turn to industry for short term answers. Industry\u27s models cannot be directly substituted for health care quality management. However, components of these models can complement strategies for providing quality management in health care institutions. To provide quality is to provide the appropriate actions m order to optimize the system with respect to expected outcomes. The goal of quality in the health care system is to provide the most efficient care delivery process in order to achieve the optimal health status. Resource utilization can be monitored with respect to individual practitioners, departments and/or services. The objectives of resource utilization is to have patients receive only the needed services without receiving any unnecessary services, as well as to eliminate unnecessary tasks and duplication of efforts. As a result of a systems approach, the organization will find itself in a strong, competitive financial position while maintaining customer satisfaction. As experienced change agents, nurse executives and leaders have the ability to promote creativity and innovation in the delivery of patient care during the change process. In the modern health care environment, creativity, innovation and collaboration are essential elements of a nursing professional\u27s expertise. The organization\u27s approach to quality and the composition of the administrative leaders are the keys to the viability of the modem health care organization