Knowledge management in health care

Abstract

It is a long-term, sustainable commitment to changing the culture of health care to become more collaborative, more transparent, and more proactive. Knowledge management, implemented well, will transform the health care delivery system over the next few decades, into a more cost-effective, error-averse, and accountable public resource. For the sake of simplicity, this article will limit the application of knowledge management principles to the context of hospitals, hospital systems or associations, or other groupings of hospitals based on a common interest or focus. The field of knowledge management has tremendous application and value to the health care industry, particularly for hospitals and hospital systems. For many who have invested in a knowledge management infrastructure, it has become the measure of value of belonging to a hospital system or membership organization.