Quality is goodness

In the spirit of stealing shamelessly, I am going to plunder Anna Roths latest post from her blog. She summarises a talk by Dr. Don Berwick. Highlights include:

"Quality is Goodness"

"What do we need to do? This is the 2.6 trillion dollar question isn't it? Here is a list to help guide us.

1. Put patients first

2. Protect the disadvantaged 

3. Start at scale –move fast – go "all in"

4. Return the money

5. Act locally"

"The Ethics of Improvement

1. Professionals have a duty to help improve the systems in which they work.
2. Leaders have a duty to make 1. Logistical, feasible and supported.
3. No excuses for inaction on 1 and 2 are acceptable.
4. The duty to improve encompasses safety, efficiency, patient-centeredness, timeliness, effectiveness, and equity requires continual reduction of waste. The IOM six dimensions quality of are dimensions of goodness
5. Those who educate professionals have the duty to prepare them for improvement work."

Wow, in 25 plus years of training, working, and teaching, no-one has ever said to me there is an ethical duty to educate professionals for improvement. Self evident but an indication of why we are finding healthcare improvement to be so challenging. 

Anna is always worth reading. Follow her blog and twitter.