Through a unique interdisciplinary perspective on quality management in health care, this text covers the subjects of operations management, organizational behavior, and health services research. With a particular focus on Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Improvement, the challenges of implementation and institutionalization are addressed using examples from a variety of health care organizations, including primary care clinics, hospital laboratories, public health departments, and academic health centers. New to the Fourth Edition: - All chapters have been updated to reflect recent trends in healthcare including the more global focus of CQI. - New introductory chapters summarize the evolution of CQI and discuss the factors influencing the application and diffusion of CQI. - Several new chapters cover 'hot' topics such as the role of the patient in CQI, social marketing as an approach to CQI, assessing risk and harm in patient care, CQI in public health organizations, quality improvement in nursing, and quality improvement in resource-poor countries. - A new companion volume of case studies