Consolidation of industries in the US is commonplace-look, for example, at banking, automobiles and the airline industry. Health care, as one of the largest sectors of the US economy, ought to be subject to the same forces that have lead to consolidation-yet is a late comer to this phenomenon. This presentation will discuss why health care has remained, until recently, fairly local. It will then discuss the forces that are propelling health care organizations to consolidate at a growing pace.
The presentation will begin with a brief outline of the history of health care quality efforts, beginning with efforts to measure quality in the early 20th century and moving through mentions of leaders in quality development up to the present day.It will then discuss the principles and basic tools used to improve quality and safety, as well as the kinds of metrics used to monitor those efforts.It will touch upon what health care has learned from other non-medical industries.
