ABSTRACT
Knowledge management is essential for healthcare organizations to be successful at a time when widespread disruptive change is occurring. Healthcare economists talk of a 'perfect storm', made up of a fast-growing population of baby-boomers seeking more complex care, a shrinking supply of skilled healthcare providers, and an unsustainable cost structure. As the complexity and pace of patient care has grown, the current care delivery model, based on the skill of the individual expert, produces high levels of variation in care processes, inconsistent clinical outcomes approximately one in three patients. With progressively increasing levels of scrutiny by regulatory agencies and publicly available data that measures quality of care, successful care delivery systems strive to continually improve organizational culture, reduce clinical variation and consistently apply knowledge through rapid sharing and practice adoption. Organizations that are structured to create and develop an environment of continuous improvement learning organizations will have a distinct advantage in adapting and delivering the care they provide.
