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Is money spent on quality improvement better spent on clinical care? — No

William B Runciman
Med J Aust 2011; 194 (12): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03148.x
Published online: 20 June 2011

Professor Bill Runciman believes much clinical care is inappropriate, and QI can be effective

NOThe evidence that more care does not mean better care is overwhelming, and the scope for savings . . . is huge.1


  • School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA.


Correspondence: bill.runciman@apsf.net.au

Competing interests:

None identified.

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  • 6. Pronovost PJ, Goeschel CA, Colantuoni E, et al. Sustaining reductions in catheter-related bloodstream infections in Michigan intensive care units; observational study. BMJ 2010; 340: c309.
  • 7. de Vries EN, Prins HA, Crolla R, et al. Effect of a comprehensive surgical safety system on patient outcomes. N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 1928-1937.
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  • 10. Runciman WB, Lumby J. Regulating clinical practice. In: Healy J, Dugdale P, editors. Patient safety first: responsive regulation in health care. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2009: 192-220.

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