How’s this for a ‘quality’ explanation?
In response to the article on Quality by Binseng Wang in the December issue of 24x7 [How Do You Define ‘Quality’?], I wondered if he would be interested in this definition [of quality] once explained to me whilst I took a C&G certificate in Quality Assurance many years ago.

“Question: Which is the quality product — a plastic ballpoint or a solid gold fountain pen?

Answer: Both can be quality products — provided that they are fit for their intended purposes.”

If the fountain pen is a pleasure to use, a delight to the eye and writes beautifully at a price I am prepared to pay, then it could be considered a quality product.

But also, if the ballpoint is cheap, reliable, doesn’t leak or dry up, then it performs as I would expect, and it, too, could be considered a quality product.

In the healthcare environment, we know, for example, that two pulse oximeters from different manufacturers can give the same Sp02 readings on a healthy patient. But we also expect the device to perform well with poorly perfused patients, to be robust; to have a good MTBF (mean time between failure), to be reasonably priced, etcetera.

So quality is not only about ISO (International Organization of Standardization) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute). It is also about what we as biomeds want, and expect, for our hospital and patients.

Dave Nightingale
Senior Biomedical Engineer
Mid Essex Hospitals (NHS Trust)
England