In this chapter, the author provides an in-depth analysis of internal and external drivers of quality improvements, the link between quality care and financial incentives, and the role of quality management in enhancing patient safety.
The external drivers of quality improvements work to change healthcare because many health care officers fail to recognize that patient safety and quality outcomes are forces that affect the budget of a health care organization (Dlugacz, 2010). The external drivers have become vital forces in value-based purchasing because of their ability to link quality to finance. In contrast internal forces that influence quality improvements occur because of the lack or absence of oversight within hospitals. These forces are largely attributed to the lack of establishment of standards by physicians for other physicians. In attempts to provide solutions to these problems, the paper suggests that a quality management department should be a supervisory internal...
Other transformation measures discussed are increased transparency, enhanced leadership and governance accountability for improved outcomes, and the introduction of financial penalties for poor quality.
