IMPACT CARE: a quality assessment tool that works.

IMPACT CARE is the Morton Plant Mease Health Care's internally developed quality measurement tool designed to implement an integrated quality assessment/quality improvement system. IMPACT CARE enables work groups to measure all aspects of performance from a total quality management (TQM) perspective and at the same time meet Joint Commission requirements. The IMPACT CARE format works equally well for the medical staff and for clinical and nonclinical departments throughout the health system. This article relates process improvements that have been made at Morton Plant Mease Health Care since 1992 as a result of using IMPACT CARE.