13024. TQM IMPLEMENTATION IN HOSPITALS: SUCCESS OR FAILURE? This report examines the implementation of total quality management (TQM, often used interchangeably with the term continuous quality improvement or CQI within the hospital setting) in hospitals. Following an overview of the origin and principles behind total quality management (with a focus on the Deming model) as it evolved within industries outside of the healthcare setting and a brief history of TQM's evolution within the hospital setting, the report presents a review and analysis of the literature on the successes and failures of TQM implementation in the hospital setting. Another section of the report presents a comparative assessment of TQM in other industries and a discussion of its general "goodness of fit" with hospitals and the current health care environment. A concluding section summarizes the major findings of the review, draws conclusions about the future of TQM in hospitals, and makes recommendations for further investigation. 37 pages, 115 footnotes, 43 bibliographic sources.