Current Quality Management Practices In U.S. Hospitals: A Survey

Abstract

For decades, the U.S. health care industry has been operating on its own, ignoring emerging factors, such as competition, patient safety, skyrocketing health care cost, liability, malpractice insurance cost, and DRG for Medicare payment. However, as these factors became more prevalent and competition within the industry intensified, many U.S. hospitals have been  becoming increasingly aware of the critical needs of controlling the operating costs and attempting to meet the needs and expectations of patient care quality. This paper presents the findings of a questionnaire survey unveiling the current quality management policies and practices in U.S. hospitals for achieving excellence in patient care quality.