Quality improvement
Quality Management
Definition. Quality improvement is the systematic, data-driven effort of health professionals and organisations to change care processes so that outcomes, safety, efficiency and patient experience get better.
Explanation
Modern quality improvement draws on industrial quality science and was adapted to health care from the 1980s onwards (Hines et al., 2020). A scoping review of continuous quality improvement describes common models, such as PDSA, Lean and Six Sigma, and recurring barriers including weak leadership support and limited data capacity (Endalamaw et al., 2024).
Effective projects define measurable aims, test changes in small cycles and sustain gains over years. A six-year institutional programme to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections illustrates how persistent effort produces durable results (Kim et al., 2025).
Related concepts
PDSA cycle Continuous quality improvement Lean management Six Sigma Donabedian model Quality indicator
Read on The Health Topics
- The Quest for Quality: Healthcare and Spinal Surgery
- Continuous Quality Improvement in Healthcare Systems: A Scoping Review
- Reducing CAUTIs: A Six-Year Quality Improvement Review
References
Endalamaw, A., Khatri, R. B., Mengistu, T. S., Erku, D., Wolka, E., Zewdie, A., & Assefa, Y. (2024). A scoping review of continuous quality improvement in healthcare system: conceptualization, models and tools, barriers and facilitators, and impact. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1), 487. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10828-0.
Hines, K., Mouchtouris, N., Knightly, J. J., & Harrop, J. (2020). A brief history of quality improvement in health care and spinal surgery. Global Spine Journal, 10 (1S), 5S-9S. https://doi.org/10.1177/2192568219853529
Kim, J. M., Aboshihata, H., Moldowsky, L., & DiGiovanni, S. (2025). Six-year retrospective look at the effects of institutional quality improvement efforts to reduce CAUTIs. American Journal of Medical Quality, 40 (2), 67–68. https://doi.org/10.1097/JMQ.0000000000000216
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Quality improvement. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/quality-improvement/