Integrated systems design for customer focused health care performance measurement: a strategic service unit approach Available to Purchase

The health care industry can expect an expanding need to measure and report the quality of performance and related outcomes. This article presents a flexible application operationalizing the strategies of total quality management and continual and rapid improvement in the area of assessing patient satisfaction. Mountain States Health Alliance established seven strategic criteria for the Outcomes Assessment Strategy and Information System (OASIS) design based on its own strategic initiatives and quality improvement principals. These initiatives are supported by the software application referred to as ContAct. Substantial process improvements have resulted. As pressures from stakeholders continue to mount, it will become increasingly important that patient satisfaction information be used to improve processes. The system presented provides one piece of an overall approach that will result in a rise to world‐class status for the health care industry.