The effectiveness of continuous quality improvement for developing professional practice and improving health care outcomes: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Efforts to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care provision have often focused on changing approaches to the way services are organized and delivered. Continuous quality improvement (CQI), an approach used extensively in industrial and manufacturing sectors, has been used in the health sector. Despite the attention given to CQI, uncertainties remain as to its effectiveness given the complex and diverse nature of health systems. This review assesses the effectiveness of CQI across different health care settings, investigating the importance of different components of the approach.

Methods

We searched 11 electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, Academic Search Complete, HMIC, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Cont

SUBMITTER: Hill JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7168964 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature