Analysis of how the CQI process is different from TQI.

Ante- OBAMA era and post- OBAMA era, healthcare organizations in the U.S., will continue to face some serious health care challenges. Medicare, OBAMA care, Long-term care (LTC) and Insurance are some of the issues that are currently on the brinks of change. However, despite all the down play and rhetoric, OBAMA care, has offered relief to countless individuals and families. The U.S. health care industry, has continually improved their services to provide the highest quality at the best cost over the past few years. Continuous Quality Improvements (CQI) is an approach to quality management that builds upon traditional quality assurance methods by emphasizing the organization and systems: it focuses on "process" rather than the individual; it recognizes both internal and external "customers"; it promotes the need for objective data to analyze and improve processes. CQI has been used more in the manufacturing world as compared to the healthcare industry. In addition, CQI is an analytical decision making tool which allows you to see when a process is working predictably and when it is not. The core concepts of the CQI are as follows: Core Concepts of CQI Quality is defined as meeting and/or exceeding the expectations of our customers. Success is achieved through meeting the needs of those we serve. Most problems are found in processes, not in people. CQI does not seek to blame, but rather to improve processes. Unintended variation in processes can lead to unwanted variation in outcomes, and therefore we seek to reduce or eliminate unwanted variation. It is possible to achieve continual improvement through small, incremental changes using the scientific method. Continuous improvement is most effective when it becomes a natural part of the way everyday work is done. The CQI is managed and led by the individuals or members who are able to analyze and interpret the data and then translate those interpretations into action. The traditional approach to strategic planning processes starts with an analysis based on SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) or its reframed counterpart TOWS (threats, opportunities, weaknesses, strengths). Secondly, in 1987, the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Health care Organization (JCAHO) , launched the “agenda for change” , which were initiatives that were designed to base accreditation of health care organizations such as hospitals , clinics, and long-term health care facilities on implementation of a quality improvement model of management . Just here of late, quality health care is well sought after. Consequently, leaders in every field especially the health care industry are constantly striving for quantifiable evidence , evidence that validates the data that substantiates improvements initiatives or strategic methods of improvements in production of services and delivery. Hospital leaders are responsible for indoctrinating healthcare workers a strong quality driven work environment. Every professional should continue to strive to provide the best affordable quality service or health care with zero defects. For example, this Pareto chart reflects trending patterns cited during production processes. This Pareto chart tool, lean or other six sigma methodologies can be used to engage the medical providers, by providing illustrations of data that is representative of some of the varied defects, which occurred or were cited during quality inspections of production of services. The CQI system was all part of the bigger vision which is the total quality of management (TQM) system or Quality Management System (QMS). “Increased emphasis is being placed on the continuous quality improvement (CQI) education of residents of all specialties.” (Jones, K. B., Gren, L. H., & Backman, R. (2014)) Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive and structured approach to organizational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements in response to continuous feedback. Fourthly, leaders are able to use these important pieces of information, when urgent business decision making is necessary and gage the resources needed to perform general job duties. This advantage gives the managers insight of what areas have higher risk probability, and how to address and more important create a contingency plan, in any event. Taking precautions on the front end, and addressing the issues before they happen is always good sound management. Return on Investment (ROI) provides a figure for the ratio of savings to the cost of the investment. Businesses benefit from implementing strategic goals that aim total Quality Improvements (TQI). TQI address the upstream or preventive management. The results of a TQI are most beneficial when planning for long-term business goals and quality and applicable when making assessments and gauging. It is imperative; we properly take into account the information that is possible in these reports. According to Farruggia, to accomplish the necessary transformation in TQI , the infrastructure of the organization must change. In conclusion, “in the current market economy, companies are constantly struggling to achieve a sustained competitive advantage that will enable them to improve performance, which results in increased competitiveness, and of course, profit.” (Cătălin, S. H., Bogdan, B., & Dimitrie, G. R. (2014)). Improved quality inherently lowers costs as it provides better service. The benefits of using a CQI include higher quality of service delivered, happier patients and customers, and lower costs. According to , Mayer, Jones, Dowling-Lacey, Nehchiri, Muasher, Gibbons, & Oehninger TQI is sometimes confused with quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA), there are major differences between the three quality plans: (i) QC is an activity designed to ensure that a specific element within the laboratory is functioning correctly; (ii) QA is a comprehensive program designed to look at a laboratory as a whole and to identify problems or errors that exist in an attempt to improve the entire process; (iii) TQI is also a comprehensive monitoring process designed not only to detect and eliminate problems, but also to enhance a laboratory's performance by exploring innovation and developing flexibility and effectiveness in all processes. Quality improvement requires five essential elements for success: fostering and sustaining a culture of change and safety, developing and clarifying an understanding of the problem, involving key stakeholders, testing change strategies, and continuous monitoring of performance and reporting of findings to sustain the change. References 1. Cătălin, S. H., Bogdan, B., & Dimitrie, G. R. (2014). THE EXISTING BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT. Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 23(1), 1234-1240. 2. Jones, K. B., Gren, L. H., & Backman, R. (2014). Improving Pediatric Immunization Rates: Description of a Resident-Led Clinical Continuous Quality Improvement Project. Family Medicine, 46(8), 631. 3. Farruggia, M. J., & Farruggia, M. H. (1995). TQI: BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW. Nursing Management, 26(4), 67-68. 4. Mayer, J. F., Jones, E. L., Dowling-Lacey, D., Nehchiri, F., Muasher, S. J., Gibbons, W. E., & Oehninger, S. C. (2003). Total quality improvement in the IVF laboratory: choosing indicators of quality. Reproductive Biomedicine Online (Reproductive Healthcare Limited), 7(6), 695-699.