Quality Improvement in Healthcare: the Case for Change

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Why is quality improvement in health and social care systems so difficult? Why is it so challenging to bring in new and better ways of organising health and social care services?

Many reasons have been put forward: lack of money; lack of appropriate or complete knowledge; excessive and perhaps unnecessary regulations; and entrenched professional opinions and interests.

This course suggests that the main reason is complexity. Health and social care systems are inherently complex, with many interconnected activities and processes, and thus difficult to measure, analyse, change and improve.

The course is designed for people working in health and social care organisations such as clinicians, allied health professionals, nurses, managers or administrators. People with a general interest in health and social care organisations, such as service users and carers, may also find the course of interest to them.