Interested in learning more about building a quality culture? The CAP’s QMEd™ Quality Culture online course will provide you with an adaptable program
for your laboratory. It includes video commentary by experienced CAP assessors as well as CAP member pathologists who are recognized for having positively influenced the culture of their organizations. Earn four CE credits with the completion of this course.
For more information, visit cap.org and search QMEd™.
Building a Culture of Quality
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Change LeversGoalProject Approach
Create Team
Assess Current State and Desired State
Find Root Causesof Current State
Assess Readiness to Change
Develop Action Steps
Implement Action Steps
Monitor and Maintain
Planning
Implementation
Effectiveness Check
Culture of Quality
• Innovation
• Speaking Up
• Going Above and Beyond
• Transparency
• Process Orientation
• Teamwork and Involvement
• Risk Awareness
Environment of Connection
• Respect and Appreciation
• Trust
• Confidence/Lack of Fear
• Community and Common
Purpose
Communication
Recruitment and Selection
Training and Development
Reward and Recognition
Rituals and Programs
Visible Leader Actions
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Culture of Quality–Key Dimensions
Dimension of Culture Example Behaviors
Innovation • Question the status quo, question assumptions, and support change
• Support staff who make suggestions
Speaking Up • Speak up about problems• Speak up when processes are cumbersome and
will likely result in a workaround• Listen to staff when they raise issues
Going Above and Beyond • Do more than is required, striving for higher levels of quality, continuous improvement, and achievment • View occurrences as useful – as opportunities
for learning and creating improvements
Transparency • Report errors and near misses to supervisors and managers
• Support staff and encourage them to escalate errors; reward and recognize those who come forward
Process Orientation • When investigating mistakes, ask, “How did it happen?” rather than “Who did it?”
• Respond to mistakes by looking for a process cause
Teamwork and Involvement
• Include front line staff in decision making• Use cross training and job rotation to help
individuals learn the perspective of other groups• Treat everyone as a valued team member
Risk Awareness • Proactively look for risks in the environment• Ask questions of leadership when something
doesn’t seem right• Trace QC and PT anomalies to their root cause
RISK