ABSTRACT
Literature that describes how to define and describe knowledge management offers little support for these efforts. In fact, it has been stated that this topic holds little interest outside of the information and library science fields. This lack of consensus has ramifications in healthcare where the clarity, immediacy and reliability of communication play a vital role in patient safety. This chapter begins by articulating basic definitions and introduce knowledge management concepts that support improvements in healthcare quality and safety. Initiatives such as total quality management, business process re-engineering and human resource management. Myths about knowledge management persist, including the mistaken notion that it is an information technology function and can easily be outsourced to consultants or a new software system. Recent trends in the knowledge management literature emphasize the concept of individually 'embedded' knowledge and discuss the need to share and exchange that knowledge to inform the actions of others and evaluate outcomes.
