A manuscript that highlights W. Edwards Deming is worth reading,……my bias.
Drs. Litt and Hintz discuss challenges of high-risk infant follow-up programs, and the need for enhanced standardization and QI collaboration.
Page 2 top left – Dr. Deming (he of “if you don’t provide data, you’re just another opinion”) coined the “System of Profound Knowledge”. What is not to love about that boldness?
He pretty much backed it up. Read him if ever discouraged about healthcare.
Do you or I have a ‘deep understanding of our organization’s need to improve’,……a ‘theory of knowledge’,……’integrative systems thinking and statistical awareness’?
I am about 17% of where I wish to be.
Which NICUs “produce” the greatest likelihood of healthy infant outcomes? How do we measure that? Why must we measure that?
Which NICUs are value (benefit/cost) exemplars? How can we learn from them? What methods are scalable? More RCTs of exotic drugs and interventions or more exploration of cultures-of-excellence? Ditto for L&D suites, PICUs, outpatient clinics.…..
As Drs. Litt and Hintz suggest – standardized, testable, collaborative high-risk follow-up clinics are crucial contributors to these questions. It’s do-able, Dr. Deming proved that.
Joe Kaempf, MD
Oregon District Representative
Portland, OR
Volume 13, Number 6