Why So Much Healthcare Quality Work Fails to Change the System (And What You Can Do About It)

From Needle-in-a-Haystack to 95%: AI, Goals of Care, and Systemwide Change

Why This Episode Matters Goals-of-care conversations can profoundly shape serious illness care, but in many health systems they remain difficult to find, inconsistently documented, and hard to measure. In this episode, Matthew Gonzales and Deborah Unger describe how Providence treated serious illness communication as a systemwide quality problem, combining leadership commitment, clinician training, nursing engagement, informatics, and AI to make “what matters” conversations more visible and actionable across 51 hospitals. Key Ideas Explored * Why goals-of-care documentation became a “conversation in the haystack” problem  * How Providence made serious illness communication a system priority, not a palliative care side project  * Why training physicians alone did not move the needle, and how nurses became critical to implementation  * The tension between standardized documentation and preserving the humanity of the conversation  * How AI helped identify meaningful goals-of-care conversations without relying on checkboxes or dot phrases  Takeaways for Quality Leaders * Treat important clinical conversations as part of system design, not just individual clinician skill.  * Build measurement only after defining what meaningful quality looks like in practice.  * Engage the disciplines closest to the workflow; nursing involvement may reveal implementation paths leaders miss.  * Avoid designing metrics that reward documentation behavior while missing the underlying clinical purpose.  * Look for AI use cases where language, workflow burden, and quality measurement intersect.  Continue the Conversation Dr. Gonzalez -   Email: Matthew.Gonzales@providence.org Dr. Unger -  Email: Deborah.Unger@providence.org Bluesky: @qoflmd.bsky.social Resources & Frameworks Referenced * Providence Institute for Human Caring [https://www.instituteforhumancaring.org/] * Ariadne Labs Serious Illness Conversation Guide [https://www.ariadnelabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Serious-Illness-Conversation-Guide.2023-05-18.pdf] * Guide Successful Strategies for Operationalizing Goals-Of-Care Documentation - NEJM Catalyst [https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/CAT.24.0359] * Finding the Conversation in a Haystack: Leveraging AI to Detect Goals-Of-Care Documentation - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management [https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(25)00264-7/fulltext] Leading Quality is a podcast for healthcare leaders committed to improving systems, culture, and outcomes. If you found this episode valuable, follow the show [https://pod.link/1836297549], rate and review the podcast, or share it with a colleague working to improve care. Connect with Jason Meadows on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] for more insights on healthcare quality and leadership. Help us build this podcast  community from the ground up: share your top insight from this episode [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwJqqqJRFls9uBrAtkPki3mI7wJYWPPlA-r9qr-vvSeQCvGw/viewform] and where you’re seeing it in your own work. I read every response and will share what we’re learning over time in future episodes and other ways. New episodes published every other Thursday at 7AM Eastern Time. Credits: Host, Writer, and Executive Producer Jason Meadows, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] Produced by Thrive Healthcare Improvement Edited by Milan Milosavljevic [https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01abfe7ec7764a68df?mp_source=share]

Building the Next Era of Healthcare Quality: Lessons from Belgium’s FlaQuM Model

Why This Episode Matters For years, many Belgian hospitals invested heavily in accreditation. It brought structure, standards, and visible progress. But Kris Vanhaecht and other healthcare leaders began to notice a deeper problem: when accreditation became the goal, quality could become episodic. Energy rose before the survey, then faded after the label was achieved. The question became how to keep the useful discipline of accreditation while building something more durable. In this episode, Kris discusses the Flanders Quality Model, or FlaQuM, and the shift toward a co-created quality management system that connects bedside care, leadership, governance, culture, and shared learning. Key Ideas Explored * Why accreditation can help, but still fall short of sustainable quality * The FlaQuM pillars of Think, Do, Learn * How Juran’s trilogy informs modern quality management  * Why leadership, culture, and context matter alongside technical quality methods  * Co-design with clinicians, patients, executives, nurses, engineers, and other stakeholders  * Why quality models require local translation, not simple implementation  Takeaways for Quality Leaders * Clarify your quality vision before beginning with indicators, audits, or standards.  * Treat quality management as an operating system, not a quality department project.  * Involve the people closest to the work early. * Preserve the discipline of accreditation, but do not let the label become the aim. * Build regular structures for shared learning across teams and organizations. * Adapt leadership, culture, and context locally. * Aim for quality that is sustained every day, not revived before external review. Continue the Conversation Connect with Professor Kris Vanhaecht on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisvanhaecht/] or through his website [https://krisvanhaecht.wordpress.com/]. Resources & Frameworks Referenced * Flanders Quality Model (FlaQuM) [https://flaqum.org/english/] * The Juran Trilogy [https://www.juran.com/blog/the-juran-trilogy-2/]: quality planning/design, quality control, and quality improvement * Accreditation Canada [https://accreditation.ca/] * Joint Commission International [https://www.jointcommission.org/en] * Safety-II [https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2023/01/safety-ii-a-proactive-approach-to-positive-outcomes] * Institute for Healthcare Improvement Leading Quality is a podcast for healthcare leaders committed to improving systems, culture, and outcomes. If you found this episode valuable, follow the show [https://pod.link/1836297549], rate and review the podcast, or share it with a colleague working to improve care. Connect with Jason Meadows on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] for more insights on healthcare quality and leadership. Help us build this podcast  community from the ground up: share your top insight from this episode [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwJqqqJRFls9uBrAtkPki3mI7wJYWPPlA-r9qr-vvSeQCvGw/viewform] and where you’re seeing it in your own work. I read every response and will share what we’re learning over time in future episodes and other ways. New episodes published every other Thursday at 7AM Eastern Time. Credits: Host, Writer, and Executive Producer Jason Meadows, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] Produced by Thrive Healthcare Improvement Edited by Milan Milosavljevic [https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01abfe7ec7764a68df?mp_source=share]

Annie’s Story and the Hidden System Behind the Critical Error

Why This Episode Matters Too many healthcare organizations still respond to safety events as if the main question is who made the mistake. This conversation offers a better lens: what in the system made the event possible, and how can leaders learn early enough to prevent the next one? Using Annie’s story, Dr. Terry Fairbanks explains why strong event review matters, why timely response matters, and why healthcare falls short when it treats quality improvement and safety management as though they require the same skills. This episode gets beneath the language of safety and into the logic of safer systems. Key Ideas Explored * Annie’s story as a case study in how system failures get mistaken for individual failure  * Why event reviews should begin immediately, even before every fact is known  * The difference between product design, implementation, and real-world use  * Why safety requires distinct competencies from traditional quality improvement  * A practical model of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in safety  * How hospitals could use existing data streams to identify hazards before harm occurs  Takeaways for Quality Leaders * Do not rush to discipline before a full systems-based review is complete  * Treat early family communication and caregiver support as core parts of the safety response  * Ask what design or implementation factors shaped the event  * Make sure safety expertise is in the room during technology and device implementation  * Stop assuming quality improvement training alone is enough for patient safety leadership  * Invest in ways to detect weak signals and emerging hazards before they become events  * Judge mitigation strategies by two standards: effectiveness and sustainability Connect with Dr. Terry Fairbanks LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryfairbanks/] Twitter / X [https://x.com/TerryFairbanks] Resources & Frameworks Referenced * Annie’s Story [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeldVu-3DpM]  * The MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare [https://www.medstarhealth.org/innovation-and-research/national-center-for-human-factors-in-healthcare] * Systems-based event review * AHRQ's CANDOR Framework [https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/settings/hospital/candor/index.html]  * IHI's RCA2 Framework [https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/rca2-improving-root-cause-analyses-and-actions-prevent-harm]  * Trigger tools [https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/introduction-trigger-tools-identifying-adverse-events]  Leading Quality is a podcast for healthcare leaders committed to improving systems, culture, and outcomes. If you found this episode valuable, follow the show [https://pod.link/1836297549], rate and review the podcast, or share it with a colleague working to improve care. Connect with Jason Meadows on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] for more insights on healthcare quality and leadership. Help us build this podcast  community from the ground up: share your top insight from this episode [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwJqqqJRFls9uBrAtkPki3mI7wJYWPPlA-r9qr-vvSeQCvGw/viewform] and where you’re seeing it in your own work. I read every response and will share what we’re learning over time in future episodes and other ways. New episodes published every other Thursday at 7AM Eastern Time. Credits: Host, Writer, and Executive Producer Jason Meadows, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] Produced by Thrive Healthcare Improvement Edited by Milan Milosavljevic [https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01abfe7ec7764a68df?mp_source=share]

Can AI Improve Clinician Well-Being?

Why This Episode Matters Healthcare organizations are investing heavily in new technologies, yet many implementations unintentionally add complexity to clinicians’ daily work. This episode explores a different question: what if we deliberately evaluate tools for their ability to reduce friction and support clinician well-being? Dr. Chris Dale and Dr. Ryan Dix discuss the development and evaluation of MedPearl, a clinical decision support tool built to streamline referrals and support frontline clinicians. Their conversation highlights why system design, not individual resilience, is often the most powerful lever for improving workforce well-being. Key Ideas Explored * Micro-frictions in clinical workflows accumulate into meaningful cognitive and emotional burden * Organizational interventions often outperform individual resilience strategies * MedPearl was designed to capture and operationalize “tribal knowledge” in referral workflows * Technology adoption spreads socially through trusted peer networks * Measuring well-being impact requires using existing data thoughtfully * The future of innovation must include workforce impact, not just efficiency metrics Takeaways for Quality Leaders * Treat clinician well-being as a system property, not an individual responsibility * Look for “sticky note problems” that signal hidden workflow friction * Use existing organizational data sources before launching new surveys * Expect heterogeneous impact. Not every tool benefits every group equally * Pair product design thinking with traditional improvement methods * Monitor indirect indicators of well-being, not just annual survey scores * Recognize that meaningful improvement will come from many small changes, not one solution Continue the Conversation Connect with Dr. Ryan Dix through the Wellbeing Trust website [https://wellbeingtrust.org/about/staff/ryan-dix-psyd/] to learn more about Providence’s workforce well-being initiatives. Follow Dr. Chris Dale on X (Twitter) [https://x.com/snoqualmie] or LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalecr/] or visit Arborgenie.com [https://arborgenie.com/index.html] to explore his work in AI and clinical data.  This episode is especially useful for quality leaders, CMOs, CMIOs, operational leaders evaluating new clinical technologies, and anyone interested in the intersection between AI, data, quality improvement, and clinician wellbeing. If you found this conversation valuable, consider rating, commenting, or sharing Leading Quality is a podcast for healthcare leaders committed to improving systems, culture, and outcomes. If you found this episode valuable, follow the show [https://pod.link/1836297549], rate and review the podcast, or share it with a colleague working to improve care. Connect with Jason Meadows on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] for more insights on healthcare quality and leadership. Help us build this podcast  community from the ground up: share your top insight from this episode [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwJqqqJRFls9uBrAtkPki3mI7wJYWPPlA-r9qr-vvSeQCvGw/viewform] and where you’re seeing it in your own work. I read every response and will share what we’re learning over time in future episodes and other ways. New episodes published every other Thursday at 7AM Eastern Time. Credits: Host, Writer, and Executive Producer Jason Meadows, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] Produced by Thrive Healthcare Improvement Edited by Milan Milosavljevic [https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01abfe7ec7764a68df?mp_source=share]

Why So Much Healthcare Quality Work Fails to Change the System (And What You Can Do About It)

Why This Episode Matters Many healthcare organizations say quality matters. Far fewer are built so improvement is part of daily operations. Too often, quality is treated as a department, a committee agenda, or a set of projects at the edge of the real work. In this conversation, Dr. David M. Williams offers a different frame. He argues that quality should function as an organizational strategy: clarifying purpose, understanding the system, choosing the right work, building capability, and creating conditions for learning. For leaders trying to move beyond scattered projects and initiative fatigue, this conversation offers a more coherent way forward. Key Ideas Explored *  Quality is not a department. It is a way an organization pursues its purpose.  *  Many “errors” reflect poorly designed systems, not isolated individual failures.  *  Project work loses power when it is reactionary, peripheral, or poorly aligned.  *  Leaders need a theory for how quality works across the organization.  *  Shared methods make improvement more teachable, scalable, and reliable.  *  Improvement capability must connect to governance, priorities, and daily work.  Takeaways for Quality Leaders *  Revisit your organization’s purpose and what it demands of the system.  *  Examine whether your improvement work is focused on core work or safer side projects.  *  Look for signs that quality is structurally marginal.  *  Build a shared improvement method, not a patchwork of frameworks.  *  Invest in helping teams get better at rigorous improvement.  *  Treat implementation and spread as part of the work.  *  Ask whether quality is changing how the organization actually operates. Continue the Conversation Connect with David M. Williams, PhD via his website [https://davidmwilliamsphd.com/] or LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmwilliamsphd/] profile. His next QOS Series starts in April 2026:  https://davidmwilliamsphd.com/qos-series/ [https://davidmwilliamsphd.com/qos-series/] Resources & Frameworks Referenced * Quality as an Organizational Strategy [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZXC16SB?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin&qid=1767475273&sr=8-2] * The QOS Field Guide [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZXC16SB?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin&qid=1767475273&sr=8-2] *  W. Edwards Deming’s system of profound knowledge [https://deming.org/explore/sopk/]  Leading Quality is a podcast for healthcare leaders committed to improving systems, culture, and outcomes. If you found this episode valuable, follow the show [https://pod.link/1836297549], rate and review the podcast, or share it with a colleague working to improve care. Connect with Jason Meadows on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] for more insights on healthcare quality and leadership. Help us build this podcast  community from the ground up: share your top insight from this episode [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwJqqqJRFls9uBrAtkPki3mI7wJYWPPlA-r9qr-vvSeQCvGw/viewform] and where you’re seeing it in your own work. I read every response and will share what we’re learning over time in future episodes and other ways. New episodes published every other Thursday at 7AM Eastern Time. Credits: Host, Writer, and Executive Producer Jason Meadows, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-p-meadows/] Produced by Thrive Healthcare Improvement Edited by Milan Milosavljevic [https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01abfe7ec7764a68df?mp_source=share]