Quality Guru Deming

W. Edwards Deming is known is the area as a "Guru". He came in a time when people were interested in turning statistical data about quality into practical use. His ideas were not taken into such a focal point until he travelled overseas to Japan and used their teamwork disciplines, simple tools and mass management and the statistical data he had to transform quality and its measures as we use them today. I chose Deming, because he used what he learned overseas here in western managment. He developed a system known as the fourteen points and also the seven deadly diseases, to impliment high quality standards into business today. Shortly before he passed he wrote The System of Profund Knowledge".

Deming's fourteen points were as followed:
1. Create constancy
2. Adopt a new philosophy
3. Cease dependeancy on inspection (do things right the first time)
4. End practice of awarding on price
5. Improve constantly
6. Institute on the job training
7. Institute leadership
8. Drive out fear
9. Drive out business barriers
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and work targets
11. Eliminating numerical quotas
12. Remove business barriers to employees
13. Institute learning
14. Continually transform jobs into careers
This will generate higher levels of productivity, dcrease costs and improve quality.

Deming's seven deadly diseases are those things that will be detrimental or decrease quality in a business, inclusing healthcare. They include:
1. Lack of constancy of purpose
2.Emphasis on short term profits
3. Evaluation of performance, merit rating and annual review
4. Mobility of management, job hopping
5. Management by use only of visible figures, with little or no consideration of figures that are
unknown or unknowable
6. Excessive medical costs
7. Excessive costs of liability

"The system of Profound Knowledge" is based on three concepts with four concentration areas. Management must understand that 1)There is no true meaning of anything, 2) experience teaches nothing and 3) management is prediction. The four areas that must be concentrated on are: Knowledge about variation, psychology, theory of knowledge and appreciation of a system.

What is Quality

Everyone has their own take on quality when it comes to healthcare. We all ultimately want the same outcome, but the means of getting to that outcome may vary. I personally think getting the best care at the lowest cost to me possible is a big factor in quality. If there are alternate methods that will heal or treat any condition I may have and they cost less than invasive procedures, I hope the medical professional will make me aware of that. I also like people friendly services. We have all encountered the person who seems to be quite over doing the work they are involved in; as it has become mundane and routine, losing all of emotion that may become entailed when caring for someone. My current doctor is great I would highly recommend him to any female looking for a gyno. My first meeting with him was actually to have a procedure done, but he sat and talked with me for twenty minutes and we came to an agreement to put off the procedure, which is quite invasive, for a few months, after he decided my condition at the time did not call for it. He asked me questions about me, my lifestyle, my past medical history and other things of his professional interest. At the same time, I was able to ask him questions and get thorough answers about things that concerned me. I have been back to the office for the follow-ups we discussed and he recognizes his patients and asks questions about their lives. He is the type of doctor, who wants his patients to be comfortable and know that they can come talk to him about concerns. His entire office is run smoothly in regards to nurses, MA's receptionists, etc. They are efficient and effective in the delivery of my care and I think that proves to be great quality.