Total Quality Management: Do health profession educators need to be educated?

Abstract

Total Quality Management (TQM) is the art and science of managing the whole to achieve excellence. Though TQM proved its worth in production and service industries it took ten more years for Higher Education (HE) to adapt TQM principles. Implementation of TQM in USA and UK HE began in 1980s. The achieved outcomes reported are increased enrolments in programs, reduced dropouts, improved student performance, reduction in resources needed (money, time, material), efficient human resource use, increased morale and enthusiasm of faculty and administrative staff. A large majority of health professions educators are not trained in the principles of TQM. This has resulted in differences in standards of HPE at various institutions and failure to considerably improve upon the quality of HPE. Educating the health professions educators in TQM is the way forward. Knowledge of quality management principles and its application in one’s own setting is a prerequisite to achieve excellence.