The online poll was conducted with 120 healthcare quality professionals who are members of The American Society for Quality. The individuals surveyed work in a diverse range of healthcare organizations, from hospitals to public health departments.

Waste in healthcare systems is a critical financial issue, as recent studies estimate U.S. healthcare system waste at a staggering $600-$800 billion annually.

The ASQ finds that quality improvement methods proven successful in manufacturing environments have only recently been applied in healthcare. According to the poll, healthcare quality experts believe payment systems would be one of their first target areas. They say addressing those issues is critical in order to reduce the massive overload of billing and insurance paperwork that is causing added expense for patients and doctors.

Additionally, the poll respondents said the limited information sharing that currently exists in the healthcare system creates unnecessary work and serious errors in some cases.

Other waste-reducing solutions provided by the quality experts include:
Mandating a universal system of electronic healthcare recordkeeping with bar-coding to provide nationwide real-time access to patient records.

Implementing the criteria of both the Malcom Balridge National Quality Award and ISO 9001 in all provider organizations.

Create free market competition for interstate insurance.

Make preventative care and annual medical checkups standardized and readily available without hassle.

The ASQ has been the sole administrator of the Malcom Balridge National Quality Award since 1991, is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.

View a previously written post by Mouli Cohen about healthcare