Quality Management Procedures Research Articles

Quality management in hematology laboratory improved preanalytics variables

Clinical decisions based on laboratory test values are correctly made when a preanalytical stage is properly performed. In this study we demonstrated that introduction of quality management procedures to Hematology laboratory at Medical Center and Health Care Center have helped to solve problems in the preanalytic stage. Blood clotting is a highly complicated process, which begins during blood withdrawal from vessels. In order to minimize in-vitro changes during collection, transportation and storage, the following steps were followed: centralization of blood collection, strict keeping of time interval between blood withdrawal to testing or freezing and purchasing of adequate freezer for storage. As a result, fibrin clots in frozen plasma were reduced from 10.6% to zero within 13 months and thus, the number of rejected samples decreased. Cooperation with ex-hospital customer who had introduced quality management system and established center for blood collection, separation and distribution have encouraged the introduction of new procedures.

Failure of rural schemes in South Africa to provide potable water

The impact of water-borne disease in South Africa is significant. An estimated 43,000 deaths per annum, including 20% of deaths in the 1–5 years age group, are directly attributable to diarrhoeal diseases. Drinking water quality provision in many rural areas is substandard. This paper describes the results of sampling drinking water supplies in rural communities in the Western and Eastern Cape, South Africa. The majority of samples collected failed microbial drinking water quality standards. Overall, schemes dependent on groundwater provided a worse quality water at point of use than surface-water-dependant schemes. This is thought to be the result of pump breakdown, deterioration of the storage and reticulation system, and insufficient monitoring and management of the schemes. Importantly, it is shown that the implementation of well-considered, community accepted drinking-water quality management procedures can effectively change an unacceptable water quality to one that satisfies drinking-water specifications.

European quality management practices

The patterns of adoption of quality management practices and techniques vary across national boundaries. This article presents the findings of a questionnaire survey into the quality management procedures and tools adopted in three European countries, the UK, Portugal and Finland. A total of 450 responses are analysed. The main differences between the three countries are outlined with regard to factors motivating the implementation of quality systems, quality tools and techniques used, outcomes from quality management and problems encountered in providing quality training. The results are then analysed under the perspective of the probable impact of national culture. The models of national culture developed by Hofstede, Trompenaars and Earley and Erez were used for this purpose. The main conclusion is that these models can help to explain, to a great extent, much of the variation observed and constitute a basis for understanding why particular quality management approaches are adopted.

Eight Years On: Implementation of quality management in an Australian university

This paper considers the development and implementation of Quality procedures in Australian Catholic University during the period 1992 to 2000. It recognises that the introduction of systematic quality management procedures in a University setting involves major changes in organisation and processes, with underlying changes in attitudes and understandings by staff. It refers to research on innovation in educational settings over the past 30 years (e.g. Fullan, 1993; Fullan & Pomfret, 1975) which demonstrates the complexity of organisational change and identifies several factors and constraints which affect the success of such innovations, and looks at the use of a collaborative model (Dynan, 1985) at Australian Catholic University for the successful implementation of quality management procedures in academic, administrative and support units of the institution. It focuses on the need for a long-term implementation strategy aimed at involvement of staff at 'grass-roots' level, with proposals for achieving such involvement. The paper also continues consideration of the issues emerging from recent experiences in Australia relevant to long-term implementation of quality procedures in university settings.

Knowledge Based Total Quality Management: Three Areas of Application

Total Quality Management (TQM) principles and methods try to improve the overall performance of an enterprise or organization. Knowledge Based Systems (KBS) can support Total Quality Management procedures by organizing, storing and processing TQM knowledge and both rule-based and object-oriented knowledge representation structures and reasoning can be used for these applications. Three interesting cases concerning the application of KB systems in TQM will be presented in this paper: a)Statistical process quality control reasoning using knowledge based systems, b)Knowledge based decision support systems for quality circles, and c)Knowledge based Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and software design.

Implementierung eines Qualitätsmanagementsystems für die Unterrichtsdurchführung des Notfallkurses

Medical teaching, training and education in basic and advanced life support were improved by basic quality management procedures. 3rd year medical students (n = 276) of two consequent semesters were questionnaired about their acute emergency medicine curriculum. While Group A (n = 134) received a standard course, the new course for group B (n = 142) was reorganised on the basis of the results of group A. Interventive educational measures were an increased number of models provided for exercising the students skills, and an extension of megacode training possibilities. Participation of students in course design improved the overall performance in respect of knowledge, skills and decision-making (p < 0.05). Curriculum acceptance and intrinsic motivation of students however were not positively influenced by practical training compared to traditional knowledge transfer.

Education quality assurance in the Warsaw University of Technology - prerequisites and activities already undertaken

The last few years have seen intensive time invested in the discussions concerning quality assessment and quality improvement within the Polish university sector. There is limited experience of formalized quality assessment in the higher education sector in Poland, and several pilot projects have been running that represent a first step in establishing a general methodology, rules, procedures and, finally, system. In recent years the Warsaw University of Technology has been involved in some projects, mainly under the Tempus Programme. An essential element of quality assurance and quality assessment is that of benchmarking against international best practice; then our EU partners were visited. Data on existing quality management procedures and tools were collected and compiled, creating the background for future discussions and decisions. This year we started a new project(together with the Technical University of Lodz), devoted to quality issues - and precisely to the introduction of an internal quality education system in our universities. This paper outlines the previous results, but mainly the activities that will be carried out in the next two years to achieve the project's objective - establishment of a university quality assurance unit and introduction of a quality assurance system.

Integration of generic indicators for quality management in hospital information systems

Hospital information systems may contribute in different ways to quality management activities such as monitoring of quality indicators. Most existing quality management activities in hospitals are adjusted to a special medical field or particular disease. These activities often run simultaneously with other procedures and the documentation of patient care. To determine an interdisciplinary integrated quality management procedure, a pilot study was carried out at the Neurosurgery Department and Neonatology Division of the Medical Center of the University of Heidelberg. Predefined generic indicators that may be integrated in an existing information system and used in hospital routine were the basis of this project. The aim of the study was to support the quality management with periodic reports of these indicators. The pilot study showed that there were barriers along the path to an integrated generic quality management. To meet the requirements of routine monitoring, using predefined generic indicators of hospital care, much integration effort, directed at organizational aspects of information processing and information systems architecture, is still needed.

La démarche qualité (ISO 9002). Application à un service biomédical Deuxième partie

In the first part of this article, published in RBM No 2,. 1999 (April), the stakes of quality management in a hospital biomedical department were undefined In the second part, published here, the notions of norms, traceability, criticity, and safety management are defined. It takes into consideration the procedures to be implemented in order to control the monitoring of measurement equipments and the writing and approval of decumentation. The third part to be published in RBM No. 7 will deal with the practical implementation of quality management procedures until the obtention of ISO 9000 certification namely the control of the system year N+1, the involvement of the managing team, and the conformity year N+2.

Applying the ISO 9000 series to higher education: an assessment model

This paper outlines a model for assisting educational establishments with the development of their quality management procedures and systems, using the ISO 9001 requirements as the guideline. What is required to put the ISO 9001 requirements in place is outlined, together with likely problems to be encountered and potential solutions. The paper argues the case that the model can be used to improve and develop quality management system procedures, without the need to seek formal registration to the ISO 9000 series. An assessment methodology, used as part of the model and its associated documentation, is also presented which helps an educational institution pinpoint gaps in its quality management system. Applying quality management system principles and practices to a university department is difficult, with academics viewing such a system as bureaucratic and stifling innovative flair.

Comparison of dental water quality management procedures

The effectiveness of ADA-recommended approaches for reducing dental unit waterline, or DUWL, contamination was investigated using newly installed dental units. Over a 2-month period, the authors studied independent water reservoirs, a sodium hypochlorite disinfection regimen, daily draining and purging of DUWLs and point-of-use filters by assessing microbial contamination and biofilm development using scanning electron microscopy. The findings demonstrate that DUWL contamination can be controlled when dental personnel use available technologies and adhere to recommended maintenance protocols.

The management and control of quality in a process industry

Aims to explore the role of management and control of quality in a process industry. Specifically, focuses on the current practices in the process of making cheese. Develops a survey instrument to measure managers’ perceptions regarding the extent to which various quality management procedures are implemented in the production of cheese. Reveals several interesting observations: for instance, many of the managers believed that implementing more quality control procedures positively contribute towards better quality, increased productivity, and improved exporting capabilities. Moreover, employee training was viewed as a critical factor to the success of TQM initiatives in organizations. Reports other interesting results relating to the different types of tests that are commonly employed during the production of cheese and whether every plant should have a separate quality control department.

Using Groupware in Quality Management Programs

Groupware technology has great but untapped potential to streamline and improve the group and documentation activities that are paramount in quality management efforts. Matching four groupware applications to the steps of a typical quality management methodology provides practical guidance on how to use groupware in support of quality management procedures.

Key Teaching Roles of a University Lecturer and their Integration into the Quality Systems of a New Zealand University

ABSTRACT This paper describes the results of a training needs analysis of the position of university lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington. The analysis identified 10 key roles which together encompass the range of teaching activities expected of lecturers. The analysis also identified an associated academic staff development programme to guide the work of the University Teaching Development Centre. Because of the growing acceptance of the results of the analysis, the University has also integrated the findings into its quality management procedures. The paper describes the use of the information in promotion and appraisal procedures, and the links between the key roles and other quality assurance mechanisms. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the gaps in the University's quality assurance systems as they relate to the key roles

Generative and case study research in quality management

Provides two practical examples of Australian quality management studies which have used generative and case study methodologies. Used the generative research strategy to study the quality management practices in the Australian business service industry and finds that not enough players in that industry have implemented quality management procedures. Suggests there is a link between some of these quality management practices and increased profitability. Uses the case study approach to show that in several companies the factors most likely to contribute to the success of a total quality management programme are a clear strategy, a customer focus, successful teams, monitoring procedures, and the implementation of a formal quality assurance system.

Taking the unpredictability out of military aircraft maintenance

Reports on how the Royal Australian Air Force maintains its military Orion aircraft. States that a typical service consists of five stages: preparation, inspection, rectification, rebuild, and testing. Maintains that for a service to be completed efficiently all service personnel involved in these distinct processes have to be monitored carefully for everything to run smoothly, owing to time constraints involved. Posits that the air force uses total quality management procedures to do this, as well as mapping out and measuring the process. States that measurement was done using Micro Planner X‐Pert, a computer software package. Concludes that this has helped to reduce servicing man hours.

Software Quality Management and Organisational Fit

This paper describes some of the findings, of an ongoing ethnographic study of a computer operations section in an Information Technology Centre. The study finds that after an initial period of staff acceptance of prescribed quality management procedures, certain features of organizational culture, structure and power, work against continued conformance. Procedures will be modified, firstly to resolve any inconsistencies between the prescribed procedures and strongly held beliefs and values about work practices and organization, and secondly to reduce or eliminate perceived threats. The paper argues that software quality management is based on a Unitarian approach to organization, which ignores the plurality of beliefs and work contexts which exist in an organization, and which assumes that organizational features can be managed and changed in predictable ways. This paper suggests that a pluralist approach to organizational analysis helps to reveal the nature and extent of changes required to the quality management system and the requirements for implementing changes.

Concrete quality management: a research study of the general contractor in South Africa

This paper reports on a research project which was carried out in the Western Cape region of South Africa, on concrete quality management, with an emphasis on improving site quality management. The paper starts by defining terms associated with concrete quality management. It further discusses the most common concrete failures and defects. It reports on the questionnaire survey of randomly selected contract managers, site managers, and site supervisors. Based on the hypothesis that poor quality concrete is partly caused by poor workmanship which results from inadequate supervision, the paper analyses the findings of the questionnaires. The following aspects are covered in the analysis: soundness of construction management team, the need to have adequate planning and the understanding of project requirements, the use of contract documentation, the need for effective communication, and effective quality management procedures. Finally, the paper proposes that contractors should implement an appropriate quality management system to ensure that all the specified requirements of a project are met.

Hematology Testing at the Bedside

Bedside testing is appropriate for analyses in which rapid answers lead to immediate therapeutic decisions. Bedside testing instruments are designed for use by individuals without technical laboratory training. Hematology systems perform tests such as activated clotting time, spun hematocrit, hemoglobin, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time. This article reviews the quality management procedures required by several accrediting and regulatory bodies, including the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. In the future, more of these systems may be placed in hospitals and other patient care settings, and the laboratory's role in managing testing quality will increase. This is the final article in a two-part continuing education series on bedside testing. The first article focused on data management of bedside glucose testing.

Quality management initiatives in health care: diagnostic imaging and quality management case study.

A comparative study of the quality management procedures adopted in six general hospitals in the UK, to examine different approaches to quality management, the extent of involvement of diagnostic imaging departments and the level of multi-disciplinary working.