TQM and CQI Comparing Total

¶ … TQM and CQI

Comparing Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Improvement Approaches in Healthcare

Comparing Total Quality Management (TQM) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approaches in the context of ambulatory care is the purpose of this analysis. TQM and CQI are compared and contrasted so that the differences and similarities can be well-understood in addition to a definition of the unique contributions each brings to the healthcare field. An analysis is also provided where the innate attributes or strengths of each approach are applied to patient care vs. ambulatory care. The analysis concludes with a recommendation of which approach is best suited for a healthcare organization across all departments and functional areas.

Comparing and Contrasting CQI and TQM

Both CQI and TQM concentrate on helping organizations understand and improve their quality management processes over time. Both also rely heavily on statistical analysis and methodologies that are designed to specifically capture variation in processes and systems (Talib, Rahman, Azam, 2011). CQI has been extended to also support the SERVQUAL (Service Quality) metric that is well-known throughout the hospitality and related services industries (Lonial, Menezes, Tarim, Tatoglu, Zaim, 2010). Both also have the potential to be used for defining long-term strategic goals for quality and process improvement within manufacturing and services industries. Both also are best used in conjunction with intuitive, qualitative information to bring greater insight and perspective into quality management programs and initiatives. The greater the consistency of use and standardization of reporting and analysis the greater the level of results achieved from both approaches as well (Zineldin, Camgoz-Akdag, Vasicheva, 2011).

Despite their many similarities, both CQI and TCM also share many differences as well. First, TQM is more strategic in scope than CQI, encompassing all key stakeholders including management, suppliers, distribution channel partners and customers. Second, TQM is designed to be an enterprise-wide platform for ensuring an organization becomes more customer-centric, and in the case of a healthcare provider, more patient-based (Talib, Rahman, Azam, 2011). Third, TQM is purpose-built to support cross-functional team design and participation, greater process and project management and also serve as the foundation for more effective strategic planning (Talib, Rahman, Azam, 2011). TQM over time will also change an organizational culture and make it more accountable for quality management reporting, continual process improvement and the development of greater accuracy in performance reporting (Suchy, 2010). In short, TQM is a strategic initiative that will change the culture of any organization over time, enabling it to be more customer-centric, responsive and therefore, more successful in attaining its objectives (Zineldin, Camgoz-Akdag, Vasicheva, 2011).

Contrasting TQM and its strategic focus, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) concentrates on using a series of statistical routines and analysis to predict the future improvements in quality based on past data from processes targeted for improvement and streamlining. CQI is therefore more oriented towards a series of data-centric tools and techniques including the use of cause-and-effect diagrams, flow and parent charts, scatter diagrams, histograms and control charts including those used in Statistical Process Control (SPC) (Lonial, Menezes, Tarim, Tatoglu, Zaim, 2010). CQI is often seen as more forward- or futures-based compared to TQM, which is more of a series of techniques and initiatives to unify an organization around a common theme of quality and performance to customers' expectations (Lonial, Menezes, Tarim, Tatoglu, Zaim, 2010).

Unique Contributions To Quality Each Provides

TQM is ideally used for enterprise-wide shifts in strategy to be more quality and customer-driven while CQI is more oriented toward a specific process or strategy area where statistical analysis can be used to define parameters and predict an outcome based on improving quality. Of the two, CQI can deliver more immediate impact within a healthcare organization as it defines a specific strategy within a given process area. TQM on the other hand is better for redefining an entire corporate culture and making it more quality-based (Talib, Rahman, Azam, 2011).

Implications for the Quality of Health Care