Quality Models – Concise Review

Page 1

  • Lecture: Quality Models (Quality Control, Infection Control & Patient Safety)

Page 2 – Overview & Six Sigma

  • Rising costs + demand → need to 1) reduce cost, 2) raise quality with existing resources.
  • Core improvement models: Six Sigma, Lean, PDSA.

Six Sigma

  • Keyword: Perfection.
  • Goal: minimize errors, maximize patient satisfaction.
  • Definition: statistical methodology to reduce process variation; “doing things right, first time, every time.”
  • Features:
    • Requires full-organization commitment & customer focus.
    • Treats “sigma” as standard deviation; target ≤ 3.43.4 defects per million.
    • Yields faster processes & fewer medical errors.

Page 3 – Lean Model

  • Keyword: Waste (non-value-added activity).
  • Definition: systematic elimination of waste to improve quality.
  • Benefits: better service, less waste, same resources.
  • Value-Added: activity that enhances form/function; patient would pay.
  • Non-Value-Added: no enhancement; should be removed, simplified, reduced, or combined.
  • Three Waste Categories (memorize):
    • Muda – direct waste (e.g., unnecessary motion, waiting).
    • Muri – overburdened resources.
    • Mura – unevenness/variation.

Page 4 – Mura, Muri & PDSA

Mura

  • “Inconsistency/unevenness” due to lack of standardization → creates Muda.

Muri

  • “Overburden” (demand > capacity) → causes Mura, which → Muda.
  • Flow: Muri → Mura → Muda (key sequence).

PDSA Model for Improvement

  • Two parts: 1) Three fundamental questions, 2) PDSA cycle.

Three Questions

  1. Aim: What are we trying to accomplish?
  2. Measures: How will we know a change is improvement?
    – Outcome, Process, Balancing measures.
  3. Changes: What changes will lead to improvement?

PDSA Cycle

  1. Plan – design test & data plan.
  2. Do – carry out on small scale.
  3. Study – analyze data & results.
  4. Act – refine change; repeat/expand.