Total quality management in accredited New South Wales hospitals: A public/private comparison

Abstract

Analysis of data collected in a 1994?95 survey of accredited New South Waleshospitals examined the adoption of key elements of total quality management practicein the public and private sectors. In a number of areas of practice widely consideredto be central to a hospital?s total quality management efforts, there was no statisticallysignificant difference between the two sectors. Where differences existed, total qualitymanagement practices more likely to be adopted by public hospitals were limited intheir scope and likely to be explained by structural peculiarities. In contrast, privatehospitals were more likely to adopt practices more critical to the successfulimplementation of total quality management.