ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some of the major initiatives that have been undertaken to improve quality and prevent medical errors. It focuses on measurement, standardization, process improvement, implementation of information and clinical technologies, and the design of new operational policies and, of course, education and continuous assessment. In healthcare, quality is viewed through different lenses by its varied participants: patients, clinicians, administrators, payers, and employers. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, not only reported the number of deaths from preventable medical errors but also called for a concerted focus on improving processes. In 2001, subsequent to the issuance of the 1999 IOM report on safety, the IOM published a second report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, in which it laid out principles to guide healthcare providers in their quest to improve quality of care. This report offered six aims for healthcare, suggesting that care delivery be: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.
