The link between continuous quality improvement and case management.

During the past several years, the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process has gradually been adapted to the healthcare setting to improve quality without increasing costs. In traditional quality assurance models, quality is measured by the number of accidents or errors occurring. No provision is made for improving the conditions under which the errors occurred. However, continuous quality improvement focuses on the processes used to achieve a goal. These processes may be clinical, financial, or operational issues. Each step in the process is analyzed; then a plan for improvement is tested and refined. The concepts of quality improvement that have been applied in the industrial setting are now being applied in the healthcare arena. Case management and CQI are linked in philosophy and process. The steps of the CQI process can be applied to managed care plans from both a clinical and financial perspective.