The quality of healthcare
Introduction
The quality of healthcare provided to society is critical to maintaining the general health and satisfaction of customers. Because of the increasing demand for quality healthcare, institutions focus on Total Quality Management to reduce costs, provide quality care, and provide efficiency. Organizations concentrate on customer perception, good leadership, and continuous improvement of their workforce to ensure quality healthcare services.
Best indicator to measure customer satisfaction and perception
The perception of value and customer/patient’s satisfaction is notable from the patient’s overall behaviour relating to ownership, purchases, and services. Additionally, client opinion surveys and focus aid healthcare institutions on understanding the customer values and requirements, which help the institution to focus their efforts towards fulfilling a specific need. The business environment also represents business customers; good business ethics, patients” safety and health, and apportionment of quality standards are some client perceptions towards quality healthcare services.
Leadership and improving the quality of care
It is a false statement to indicate that only the people in leadership positions are capable and responsible for improving the quality of healthcare services provided to patients. The statement is false because Total Quality Management in healthcare is a collective responsibility; the leaders’ roles of reviewing healthcare quality, planning, and staff management only serve as guidance and role model to instil values and encourage organizational leadership. Organizational leaders are responsible for ensuring the unity of purpose and providing an environment where participants can contribute towards achieving institutional goals and objectives.
Lack of proper worker/staff training
It is false to insinuate that most healthcare problems result from improper training of employee and medical staff. Healthcare institutions can achieve maximum performance by adopting good approaches to learning and improvement in terms of change adoption that presents new approaches and goals. Continuous improvement of the institutional workforce can help solve or avoid some of the TQM issues relating to healthcare organizations.
Conclusion
TQM is critical in healthcare services provision because it ensures customer satisfaction and retention. Customer perspectives and opinions carry weight in determining the quality of services. Healthcare institutions should continually develop their workers while noting that TQM is a collective responsibility.