We open with the basic idea that healthcare quality is broader than clinical skill alone. The conversation breaks down the STEEEP framework and why patient-centered, coordinated care matters.

This chapter reframes healthcare as a high-stakes environment where preventing failure matters more than praising rescue. We explore the HRO principles and why near misses are treated as valuable information.

Here we shift from defining quality to measuring it. The Donabedian model, composite measures, and variation management show how structure, process, and outcomes fit together.

This chapter covers the actual improvement machinery: PDSA, PDCA, SMART planning, and data tools like Pareto charts and control charts. The big message is that healthcare gets better through small tested cycles, not one giant fix.