Using ISO 9001 in Healthcare: Applications for Quality Systems, Performance Improvement, Clinical Integration and Accreditation

Healthcare providers deal with quality concepts and tools on a regular basis, but the idea of a quality system or quality management system (QMS) is not a familiar term. Most are familiar with control charts, Lean, the PDSA cycle, Six Sigma, and the Baldrige criteria, but ISO 9001 is not usually recognized and most have no experience with a systematic program to implement quality objectives within an organization. This book explains the overall value of an ISO 9001 based QMS, its value in implementing a quality culture within an organization, using other quality tools within the ISO framework, clinical integration, accreditation, and performance improvement. Several case studies of ISO implementation in healthcare organizations are described, including a large multi-specialty group, a community hospital and hospital system, and the State Department Medical Unit in D.C.