Through a unique interdisciplinary perspective on quality management in health care, this text covers the subjects of operations management, organizational behavior, and health services research. With a particular focus on Total Quality Management (TQM) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), the challenges of implementation and institutionalization are addressed using examples from a variety of health care organizations, including primary care clinics, hospital laboratories, public health departments, and academic health centers. Significantly revised throughout, the Fifth Edition offers a greater focus on application techniques, and features 14 chapters in lieu of the prior edition's 20 chapters, making it an even more effective teaching tool. New chapters have been incorporated on Implementation Science (3), Lean Six Sigma (6), and Classification and the Reduction of Medical Errors (10).