Knowledge management: white knight or white elephant?

Knowledge management (KM) is a new management theory embraced by hundreds of writers in multiple countries and industries. Although a single fixed methodology does not exist, several methodological elements are common to most KM writtings. KM has a number of similarities to and differences from quality improvement and reengineering. It can be applied to at least two universes in health care organizations. Applying KM to a case study in health information management (HIM) departments yielded much useful information but also proved unable ultimately to resolve the problem being studied. HIM professionals can embrace elements about KM that are good and useful, while ignoring elements that do not work.