The book is a practical reflection of research and applied training conducted at Dartmouth Medical School under the leadership of Paul Batalden, Eugene Nelson, and Marjorie Godfrey, the directors, respectively, of Dartmouth Medical School’s departments of 

- Quality Improvement

- Health Improvement Leadership Development, and

- Clinical Practice Improvement.

The three authors recently completed a nine-part series of articles, published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety, which will contribute to the foundation of the proposed book. They plan to use their research, teaching, and consultative experience to provide case studies, guiding principles and a practical action guide that can serve as a valuable resource for a large audience of health care professionals and students in the health care professions.

Part I of the book features principles and case studies. Each chapter will use a relevant case study to provide authentic context and will discuss fundamental principles associated with the chapter’s main theme. The editors will collaborate with individual contributing authors on each chapter. Foundation concepts include evidence-based care, core leadership processes, staff development, planning of services, designing safety, designing an information-rich environment, and linking operations to strategy.

Part II provides a description of specific tools that have been used and proven in North America and Europe. A draft version of this section has been used for the master’ degree program in health imrpvoement at Dartmouth Medical School and as an in-service training workbook at dozens of health systems in North America and Europe. These tools include needs assessment/diagnosis, process design, methods for customizing care, performance measurement and monitoring, linking Microsystems,  and instilling these processes into the daily worklives of caregivers and staff.