Quality Improvement in Nursing Care Facilities: Extent, Impetus, and Impact

Abstract
This study examines the extent, motivation, and per formance implications of formal quality improvement (QI) programs in Pennsylvania nursing care facilities. Responses to a 20-item survey sent to facility adminis trators indicate that continuous quality improve ment/total quality management (CQI/TQM) adopters are more motivated by quality of care and human resource concerns in implementing QI, more satisfied with the results of QI efforts, and more aware of a com petitive environment than are non-adopters. There are few differences between adopters and non-adopters with respect to organizational characteristics or per formance on quality of care measures. Comparison with the results of a study of QI implementation in hospitals reveals some differences in motivation, but similarities in satisfaction with results.