BACKGROUND: Most health care organizations struggle with the design and implementation of effective, systemwide improvement programs. In 2000, the University HealthSystem Consortium initiated a benchmarking project to identify the organizational elements that predict a successful perfermance improvement (PI) program and that are best suited to support change initiatives. METHODS: Forty-one organizations completed a survey about the presence of critical components, processes used to improve performance, and organizational PI structures. Follow-up site visits were conducted at three organizations. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR A PI PROGRAM: Eight organizational success factors for an effective performance improvement program were identified: (1) Strong Administrative Fxecutive and Performance Improvement Leadership, (2) Active Involvement of the Board of Trustees, (3) Effective Oversight Structure, (4) Expert Performance Improvement Staff, (5) Physician Involvement and Accountability, (6) Active Staff Involvement, (7) Effective Use of Information Resources-Data Used for Decision Making, and (8) Effective Communication Strategy. DISCUSSION: The approach offered is grounded in the belief that effective organizational structures and processes are prerequisites to improving health care delivery. Although some empirical support for the proposed model is provided, additional research will be required to determine the effectiveness of this approach.

Benchmarking↗

PubMed2003

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Aged↗

PubMed2002

[Urethral sagittal duplication in children. Report of 7 cases].

UNLABELLED: Urethral duplication is a rare disease with various clinical expressions and treatments. The authors report 7 cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively review 7 children with sagittal duplication of the urethra seen between 1995 and 2000. All children were investigated by ultrasonography of the urinary tract, retrograde cystography and voiding cystourethrography. RESULT: Except for one case of neonatal discovery, the mean age at diagnosis in the other six children was 4 years. In one case, the malformation consisted of blind incomplete urethral duplication (type I B) and urethroscopy confirmed the presence of an orifice distal to the urethral cap; symptomatic treatment was successful in this patient. Two children with complete urethral duplication with epispadias and two bladder orifices (type II A1) were successfully treated by resection of the supernumerary urethra. One child presented an U-shaped duplication (type II A2 "Y"). Unsuccessful opacification of the accessory urethra prior to its resection induced sclerosis and no flow with a follow-up of 24 months. Penile surgery was performed in two children with incomplete urethral duplication with only one vesical orifice (type II A2) transforming duplex urethra into distal bifid urethra after resection of the accessory urethra and its epispadic meatus. One child had a suspended duplication of the urethra with only one glandular meatus (type II B2) and a single vesical orifice. He was treated by endoscopic section of the urethral membrane separating the two urethras before their fusion in the bulbar urethra. With a mean follow-up of 36 months (range: 6 months to 4 years) no infectious or voiding complications were observed in these 7 children. CONCLUSION: Sagittal duplication of the urethra is a rare disease requiring precise anatomical and functional assessment. The ideal treatment for symptomatic forms is resection of the duplication without impairing sphincter function.

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