Product details

This is the second of a two-case series. The case series describes the major transformation that took place in one of the largest university hospitals in Sweden. Changes involved refocusing on the patient as final customer, improving quality and reducing costs. They were achieved through a total quality improvement scheme combined with process re-engineering. Organisational changes helped implement these changes. The case series illustrates how efficiency can be improved by simple process changes and highlights the importance of leadership and involving professionals (doctors, nurses). It also provides an example of how industrial concepts could be brought to hospitals and to the services industry in general. Two key issues raised are: (1) prioritisation in a complex multi-client environment; and (2) the relative value of quality when perception of quality differs from one group of 'clients' to another.