Berwick DM. Lessons from developing nations on improving health care. British Medical Journal. May 2004;328(7448):1124-1129.

Reviews examples of health care improvement in developing nations. The hypothesis is that resource-poor nations can provide ideas and inspiration to wealthier nations. Examples are from Russia and Peru.  Key lessons are to keep target and measurement processes simple and to make full use of teams.

Berwick DM. Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP: Advocate for evidence-based health system reform. Journal of the American Medical Association. Apr 2004;291(16):1945-1947.

Interview by Brian Vastag includes reflections on waste, information and measurement systems, innovation, and change strategies.

National survey on consumers’ experiences with patient safety and quality information. The Kaiser Family Foundation/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/Harvard School of Public Health. 2004.

On the fifth anniversary of the Institute of Medicine's report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, how do patients and health care consumers assess efforts to reduce medical errors in the US? Has dissatisfaction with the quality of health care grown? A new national survey examines these and other issues.

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Brook R, Kamberg C, McGlynn, E. Health system reform and quality. Journal of the American Medical Association. 276(6);1996:476-480.

This article distinguishes between efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency, as well as discussing economic issues and quality as a means to reform health care.

Solberg L, Mosser G, McDonald S. The three faces of performance improvement: Improvement, accountability and research. Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement. Mar 1997;23(3):135-147.

In their guideline implementation and measurement efforts, ISCI and the IMPROVE Project in Minnesota have gradually learned how to distinguish between measurement for improvement and that for accountability. The authors argue that the distinction is important to reduce suspicion and achieve true improvement.

Berry L. The collaborative organization: Leadership lessons from Mayo Clinic. Organizational Dynamics. 2004;33(3):228–242.

After observing the Mayo Clinic over a five-month period, the author describes and praises their collaborative care model that promotes teamwork and multispecialty care teams. 

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Loehr J, Schwartz T
New York, New York, USA: Free Press; 2003

In this book, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz demonstrate that managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as well as to health, happiness, and life balance.

Benneyan JC, Lloyd RC, Plsek PE. Statistical process control as a tool for research and health care improvement. Quality and Safety in Healthcare. Dec 2003;12(6):458-464.

Statistical process control (SPC) is a branch of statistics that combines rigorous time series analysis methods with graphical presentation of data.  This article provides an overview of SPC with multiple examples of health care applications.

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Ransom SB, Joshi M, Nash D
Chicago, Illinois: Health Administration Press; 2004

The authors compile the most current information on a wide array of quality issues, tools, and strategies. The book’s core tenet is that the key to effective improvement is patient-centered care, focusing on the needs of the patient first and foremost.

Parker-Pope, T. Unrestricted visits to hospital rooms may help recovery of the sickest patients. The Wall Street Journal. Aug 31, 2004.

Article from the Wall Street journal which picks up on a piece from the Journal of the American Medical Association, regarding extending visting hours in the Intensive Care Unit.