Quality improvement in pediatric urology—a historical perspective on street pumps, puerperal fever, surgical infection, and contemporary methodology

Abstract

Quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) can trace its origin back to the court of Hammurabi (circa 1700BC). However, it did not begin its evolution into its present methodology until the mid-19th century. It was through the application of quantitative parameters around the time of World War I that the field of QIPS has matured and gained a significant presence in the practice of medicine. Herein, the authors present a historical overview of this increasingly important fieldand correlate the current pediatric urology literature that has arisen from it. Because QIPS research is likely to contribute to efficient, streamlined health care through rapid changes to routine clinical practices, it would behoove pediatric urologists to familiarize themselves with its history and fundamental concepts.