Total Quality Management is a growing field, especially because consumers are becoming aware of quality standards and the demand for stress-free services is increasing.
With cut-throat competition, businesses go above and beyond to improve the quality of their products and services to ensure higher customer satisfaction and boost customer loyalty.
Healthcare industry is no different.
There is absolutely no room to make mistakes in hospitals. Even a tiny mistake can result in a loss of life or lifelong disabilities.
Hospitals face several challenges every day and take every possible measure to overcome them to avoid any mishaps.
The need for Total Quality Management in hospitals is higher than any other industry.
Let’s explore how Total Quality Management comes into action in hospitals.
Getting A Deeper Understanding of Total Quality Management (TQM)
Total Quality Management is a management approach that works to improve processes, products, services, and organizational culture so that customers get a better experience.
It does not revolve around improving the product or service only.
Instead, Total Quality Management is a holistic approach that improves the entire customer experience – from finding out about the company to getting in touch, consuming the product or services, post-service experience, and beyond.
Total Quality Management should not be mixed with crisis management.
It does not solve problems after they occur.
The goal of Total Quality Management is to prepare for potential challenges, improve processes to avoid chaos, and equip an organization with the necessary tools and training so that consumers get an unmatched experience with the company.
Principles of Quality Management in Hospitals
It is important to understand how quality is measured in hospitals to explore the role of quality management departments in hospitals.
Let’s get started.
1) Patient Experience
Patient experience is an important determinant of the quality of services provided at a hospital. Patients and their caretakers may face tremendous stress when visiting a hospital.
A chaotic patient experience in hospitals adds to the stress and may worsen the health of a patient.
Patients are vulnerable and require the best possible experience at hospitals to make the situation less chaotic. There are various factors that contribute to patient experience. For example, the average waiting time for OPDs and the behaviors of the hospital staff.
Total Quality Management in healthcare works to ensure that the waiting time is minimized and patients do not have to indulge in too much paperwork or formalities. It works to keep processes and treatments transparent, helping patients and their caretakers understand treatment options and more.
Hospital’s quality management department has experts who work on making better procedures to book doctors’ appointments, avail OPDs, and more.
2) Mortality Rate
Another important factor is the mortality rate of a hospital.
If the number of people dying in the hospital is higher than the average number of deaths in other hospitals, then there is a high need to improve the quality of services.
The mortality rate varies from hospital to hospital, based on the nature of the diseases targeted.
For example, a cancer hospital is likely to have a higher mortality rate compared to a hospital treating gastrointestinal diseases.
Quality management department in hospitals works to identify potential changes in treatments that help bring the mortality rate down, such as using higher quality devices and medicines, sending doctors for training for new treatments, and more.
3) Timeliness of Care
Providing timely care is one of the most integral components of quality care.
A few seconds here and there can cost someone their life.
Total Quality Management in hospitals ensures that the lead time for treatment is as minimum as possible.
For example, a hospital that offers emergency services must have sufficient beds and an adequate hospital staff available at all hours to cater to emergencies.
Similarly, OPDs for critical patients should not make patients wait for too long. These patients may have any physical and mental disability that can make it difficult for them to wait. Also, people undergoing critical treatments, like chemotherapy, should not have to wait long hours before or after the treatment.
That’s where quality control in hospital management comes in.
From proper allocation of appointment timings to making waiting time less stressful, you will work directly with the hospital management to boost faster services.
These and many more factors play a key role in the quality management of hospitals.
With a professional master’s degree in hospital management in hand, you will be actively working towards quality management of the said hospital.
Study Courses Related to Quality Management in Hospitals
A successful career in Total Quality Management in the healthcare industry requires a professional degree from an accredited online university in UAE.
HBMSU is one of the best online universities which is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Commission for Academic Accreditation and offers a range of online programs that are highly valued in the job market of UAE.
The university is equipped with modern learning models and hosts learned professors from across the globe. HBMSU offers an opportunity to study from the comfort of your home without compromising on the quality of education.
Get a professional undergraduate and Ph.D. degree in Total Quality Management and build a successful career in the healthcare world. Register now!