Different stakeholders define the quality of care differently depending on their motives. For instance, shareholders of an organization will define quality in terms of cost minimization and profit maximization because their major interest is to get the highest returns on their investments. An organization’s management, on the other hand, will define the quality of care in terms of the reputation they receive, which in turn affects their performance and survival in the healthcare industry. Patients define the quality of care in terms of the outcomes of the care they receive because their main motive is to get well and carry on with their daily activities. Thus, there is a wide gap in the understanding of quality improvement between the different stakeholders of healthcare organizations.
This gap of understanding can be narrowed in a number of ways. First and foremost, there is a need to have a clear definition of the term quality improvement. This definition should be evidence-based. It is thus imperative for an organization to conduct an extensive literature review on the term quality improvement as it applies to healthcare organizations. Second, there should be an effective communication mechanism through which the meaning of quality improvement can be communicated. Such communication should be done in such a way that it involves all the stakeholders, for instance, through seminars, conferences, and workshops. These channels of communication enable open communication and debate among the concerned stakeholders. It is through such gatherings that clarifications can be made and decisions, plans, and strategies of quality improvement can be communicated hence narrowing the information gap between the stakeholders.