Which concept emphasizes continuous improvement in healthcare services?

Quality control refers to systematic processes that ensure services meet specific requirements and standards at a given moment in time, but it does not encompass the ongoing effort for improvement. In contrast, the concept that emphasizes continuous improvement in healthcare services is closely aligned with performance management. Performance management involves setting objectives, measuring outcomes, and refining processes to improve quality and efficiency continuously.

While quality assurance does include aspects of maintaining standards and is a part of this continuous improvement cycle, its primary focus is to ensure that services meet predefined standards rather than striving for ongoing enhancement of those services. Risk management, meanwhile, is concerned with identifying, assessing, and controlling risks that could negatively affect patient care and operational efficiency, and is not primarily driven by the notion of continuous service improvement.

Therefore, the central idea of continuous improvement in healthcare services is best captured by performance management, which encompasses the ongoing cycle of measuring, evaluating, and optimizing services to enhance patient care and outcomes.