Aggarwal, A., Aeran, H., & Rathee, M. (2019). Quality management in healthcare: The pivotal desideratum. Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, 9(2), 180–182.
In this article, the authors argue that a Health Care Organization (HCO), is an intricate entity since its service outcomes are intangible and the fact that it blends personnel drawn from diverse professions. Every healthcare sector requires judicious quality management for it to function effectively. Nonetheless, the authors warn that quality is not a physical service that can be attributed. They deliberately use the term ‘Health Care Service’ instead of ‘Medical Care’ to emphasize the specific entity ripe for assessment, monitoring, and improvement. To this end, the article runs a comprehensive review of the quality management in health care service. Its main objective is to sensitize professionals within the health care industry about what is required for the achievement of total quality (Aggarwal et al., 2019). Therefore, the authors provide comprehensive definitions and contextual explanations of the terms quality health care system, quality, and total quality management.
The article was published in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, which primarily puts out health-related matters. The article contains analytical information that attempts to piece together the ideas and opinions of different entities and scholars. It is primarily focused on the review of previous literature on what other authors had postulated about the quality of health care. It also tries to marry these pieces of literature with the known theories about health care quality. To some extent, this is a significant approach to generating information. However, I hold the view that the information contained therein cannot pass the validity test since no studies have been done to prove the same. The authors have mainly relied on theoretical information and the opinions of other scholars before them. They have not indicated whether that information was arrived at after conducting any research studies. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain whether the information is valid, and hence reliable.
Some of the views postulated in the article indeed conflict with the practical reality of health care. For instance, the authors conclude that health care is a scientific and sacred enterprise without a commercial connotation. However, nothing can be further from the truth. It is common knowledge that it is the commercial bit of health care that is responsible for its quality guarantee. The critical role that commerce plays in health care delivery cannot be ignored as the authors suggest it should. In a free-market economy, the commercial aspect of health care is responsible for competition among different health care organizations. Incidentally, competition is good for business as it ensures the attainment of high-quality standards.
In light of the above, nonetheless, the information contained in the article can be applied in the business context of the management of a health care institution. The authors have enumerated different benefits associated with quality in health care organizations. Among these benefits are institutional development, patient safety, and risk management. Any health care institution that prides itself on these three stands to gain more clients. The bottom line of any business enterprise is to gain as many clients as possible, and this is what the article aims to achieve.
In conclusion, I wish to state that I agree with the views of the authors concerning the pivotal role that quality management plays in a healthcare institution. Indeed, health care management is a complex undertaking that requires a holistic approach for maximum quality attainment. However, I have some contemplation about the approach used to deliver the information. I believe that they could have carried out a research study based on some samples from a given health care institution to make their findings more valid and authentic.
Reference
Aggarwal, A., Aeran, H., & Rathee, M. (2019). Quality management in healthcare: The pivotal desideratum. Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, 9(2), 180–182.