Report on seminar: 'designing care'.

The seminar was held under the auspices of the National Demonstration Project, which is a combined effort of the Juran Institute and the Harvard Community Health Plan (HCHP). About 60 delegates attended the conference. Most were from the United States, the rest were from Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia. The seminar was aimed at introducing those attending to the topic of clinical algorithms. The algorithms were presented as part of a total quality management process concerned with clinical decisions. Algorithms are designed as a pattern, or a map, of a clinical process. It is the aim of an algorithm to ensure stability in a clinical process and to enhance the quality of care given by the process. The seminar was a combination of general sessions and workshop sessions. The general sessions were managed by presenters who had considerable experience in the development of algorithms, and the same presenters then chaired the separate workshop sessions on a group basis. The workshop sessions concentrated on the simulation of algorithm development at the institutions of the attendees.