Is Total Quality Management/Continous Quality Improvement or Quality Assurance Applicable in Health Services?

Health services provide many services which entail technology and interpersonal processes. Manufacturing is not so involved in interpersonal processes. The health care labour force has characteristics which influence the organizational culture. One major characteristic is the domination of physicians who are decision makers in terms of medical care. The workforce in health care organisation, hospital, for example are multidisciplinary, such as general practitioners, nurses, therapists, pharmacists ,specialists, administrators, finance officers and managers, while in manufacturing workforce is likely to be homogenous. The goal of health services is not necessarily to gain profit; the most important is to increase peoples health status, so that quality is more focused on accessibility, affordability, and appropriateness. However, industry is likely to have homogenous processes and the goal is to gain profit. Therefore, health services may require special consideration in implementing quality management tools. It may adjust the principle of TQM/CQI/QA in order to conform to health services characteristics.