The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the flaws in patient care delivery in many healthcare organizations. Hospitals scrambled to deal with inadequate supplies of ventilators and personal protective equipment while simultaneously combating the inefficiencies inherent in their existing systems. Outpatient areas struggled to deliver care in an environment that was safe for both workers and patients. The pandemic was a reminder that a focus on comprehensive quality management is vital to the daily work of healthcare providers and those they treat. Applying Quality Management in Healthcare: A Systems Approach examines the real-world tools and techniques necessary for improving systems that affect patient care outcomes. Author Patrice L. Spath explains how to explore and modify interconnected systems to make lasting changes that benefit the entire organization. This updated edition features a new chapter on three organizational characteristics that advance success in quality management: continuous improvement, high reliability, and accountability. Throughout, the book emphasizes the role of leadership in all aspects of quality. Management concepts are supported by real-life examples from diff

Patrice L. Spath, MA, RHIT, is a health information management professional based in Forest Grove, Oregon. She has broad experience in healthcare quality and patient safety improvement. For more than 35 years, she has presented more than 300 educational programs and authored numerous books and journal articles on these topics. In 2020, she received the Distinguished Member Award from the American Health Information Management Association.