Author Archives: Barbara

I live near Central Florida, so we frequently visit the Disney parks. But something more amazing than usual happened there recently. And it was not for entertainment purposes. As an annual pass holder, I received a personalized Guest armband in … Continue reading →

Despite the focus on bedside safety, I don’t believe a next major improvement in healthcare will happen with another National Patient Safety Goal. As insightful as they are, they are missing the larger picture – and one to which each … Continue reading →

After being in the business nearly forty years, I have come to realize I no longer (and perhaps never did) understand the meaning of the word “healthcare.” The concept of “healthcare” is malleable; it morphs into every size, shape, application, … Continue reading →

I just returned from a week-long learning session at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).  Being a quality professional, many of the concepts taught were not new to me.  Several of the articles shared I had read before.  Some of … Continue reading →

I recently spoke with a family member about the hospital care of his wife. He was disgusted with the “quality of care” she received. The bedside table was broken, the pillow was uncomfortable, the nurses did not bring her medicine … Continue reading →

Barbara Duffy I have been reading a bit about Accountable Care Organizations lately – after all how can you miss it?  There are some great ideas and plenty of potential being tossed around. Concepts being discussed in the literature include: … Continue reading →

April 20, 2011 I just read a wonderful article that brought together something that has been dancing around in my mind lately.  Can evidence-based medicine and clinical quality improvement learn from each other? by Paul Glasziou, Greg Ogrinc, and Steve … Continue reading →