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Deming’s quote in healthcare
W. Edward Deming’s quote will be my response: “Every system can get the results it needs.” We have several quality improvement programs in my healthcare company to increase patient satisfaction and efficiency. Unfortunately, simply adopting new technology or processes doesn’t always result in desired results. When we reflected on Deming’s quotation, it became clear that our organisation’s systems (including our organizational culture and our leadership style) were not aligned with our quality improvements goals. We have taken a coordinated effort to address the problem by creating a culture that encourages open communication and cooperation and providing training opportunities and ongoing development for staff. Our front-line employees have been empowered to address and identify issues in their own departments. This is a change from relying on the top-down approach to decision making. This has resulted in significant improvements in the patient experience, employee morale and overall organization performance. Deming’s quote reminds that it is more than just implementing innovative solutions. To truly effect lasting change, we need to examine and fix the structures and systems within our organisation (Deming), (2019).
