In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, the need for continual improvement is paramount. This is where the 14 points of management proposed by W. Edwards Deming come into play. These timeless principles can be effectively applied to the healthcare industry, and the first three principles set the foundation for quality improvement.
1. Create Constancy of Purpose for Improving Products and Services
Deming's first principle revolves around fostering a consistent organizational commitment to improving patient care quality and service. In a healthcare context, this would mean investing in research to understand patients' needs, working towards enhancing medical technologies, and continuously training medical professionals to deliver better care.
Healthcare organizations should create a vision that focuses on long-term patient care improvement. This can involve developing disease prevention programs, innovative treatment methods, and strategies to improve patient satisfaction.

2. Adopt a New Philosophy
This principle suggests the adoption of a new mindset where errors and lapses in quality are unacceptable. For healthcare, this means creating a culture focusing on patient safety and quality care.
All stakeholders, from medical professionals and administrative staff to leadership, must be committed to this philosophy. Errors in patient care should be seen as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than individual failures. For instance, a "zero harm" culture can form a part of this new philosophy where every team member is responsible for patient safety.
3. Cease Dependence on Inspection to Achieve Quality
The third principle challenges relying solely on inspection to ensure quality. This translates to not depending on quality checks or audits alone to guarantee the best patient care in the healthcare sector.
Instead, healthcare organizations should build quality into the process itself. This could involve incorporating evidence-based practices into standard protocols, using technology for error-proofing, and developing processes that reduce the chance of mistakes.
In summary, applying Deming's first three principles in healthcare involves creating a consistent purpose for quality improvement, adopting a culture focused on patient safety, and building quality into the fabric of healthcare processes. These steps set the foundation for a healthcare system prioritizing quality care and patient safety.
Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where we will explore how more of Deming's principles can be applied to the healthcare industry.
This post is the first in a series of four on applying Deming's 14 points in the healthcare industry.