Quality improvement: the JCAHO model.

Mr. Schwartz's article chronicles the development of continuous quality improvement in healthcare. Beginning with a discussion of the Joint Commission's shift from quality assurance to CQI, Mr. Schwartz goes on to explore the theories of Crosby, Deming, Juran and others whose ideas have shaped the CQI movement. He also identifies quality assessment and improvement standards, statistical methods favored by the JCAHO, ways of demonstrating CQI, and the differences between QA and CQI/TQM. In addition, he provides suggestions on implementing a CQI action plan and describes some of the obstacles faced by managers trying to execute such programs.