There are a number of influences that account for the accelerated rise of a quality movement in health care today. These include the growth and transfer of quality theories and practices from the industrial sector, concerns about rising health care costs, and changes in the health care industry. As a result of these and other factors, more and more providers are employing formal quality measures to improve care and service. For example, a recent national survey of hospital quality-improvement activities showed that more than two-thirds of hospitals have undertaken a “Continuous Quality Improvement” effort to improve the quality of care.
