Experiencing Improvement

We arrived at Cleveland Clinic with aspirations of helping patients and those who cared for them through the work of improvement, having successfully applied those concepts elsewhere.

Although we understood that healthcare would be different from other industries in which we had worked, we had reasonable hopes that our tools and methods could be successfully adapted to the new environment.

In writing Experiencing Improvement, we share both our own experience in doing this work, and the experience of caregivers with whom we partnered, from executive to frontline personnel, in clinical and administrative roles.

There are basic tools and concepts that can be utilized by healthcare leaders to help meet the needs of an industry undergoing dynamic change. These tools have proven to be effective in managing cost and service in manufacturing industries, yet require subtle and not-so-subtle reformulation to meet the needs of the healthcare environment as shown by the continuous improvement efforts at Cleveland Clinic.

The approach to introducing these tools is critical to their acceptance and perceived value by caregivers: meet them where they are, provide tools to help, and coach and nurture them through the work of improvement.