This performance improvement project was undertaken to determine staff competency in pain management in several home care and hospice programs. The process used involved identifying and establishing the project, diagnosing the cause, remedying the cause, and holding the gains. Once the problem was identified and confirmed, the group worked to improve the competency of staff.
Juran JM: Juran on Leadership for Quality: An Executive Handbook. New York: The Free Press, 1989: 1-80.
2.
Quality Improvement Pocket Guide. Wilton, CT: Juran Institute, 1993.
3.
Juran JM op. cit.: 52.
4.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations: Pain: National summit focuses on relief for millions of Americans. Press Release, June 19, 2000. http://www.jcaho.org/news/nb269.html
5.
and Furstenberg CT, Ahles TA, Whedon MD, et al.: Knowledge and attitudes of health care providers toward cancer pain management: A comparison of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in the state of New Hampshire. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1998; 15(6): 335-349.
6.
United States Department of Health and Human Services: Management of Cancer Pain: Adults. Rockville, MD: Government Printing Office, 1994. AHCPR Publication No. 94-0593. (1-800-4-cancer; www.ahcpr.gov)
