Questions on Quality: Sail or Sink?

Quality in healthcare: we talk about it, debate about definitions, wonder if we can and if we do measure it. For some of us, it’s an intricate concept that feels like it could make your head explode. For others, it’s common sense: to give the best care, to the right patient, at the right time. 

If it is true that all good things (i.e. Danish-sounding ice-cream) come in small packages…can we at least hope that quality in healthcare comes in cargo loads? Or are we bound to provide healthcare on islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity?

I will not use this space to expand on the "quality" etymology or on matters of semantics. Instead, I would like to focus on 3 areas related to quality that I came across in discussions and readings this week:

Healthcare Worker's Search for Meaning

"The last of human freedoms- the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances" 
Viktor Frankl

When you are a healthcare worker there is one thing you never want to hear: a fatal error leads to patient death. Sadly, today was one of those days. This terrible event is mentally and physically painful to grasp and reminds us all of our inherent and human ability to fail. The pain of the family is extremely raw and the society’s response is intensely broadcasted, and for good reason. Today though, just for once, I will talk about the pain of the provider, the one entrusted with your safety.