Continuous quality improvement is a way to improve the health care system and delivery of care. It is achieved by continuous education of staffs, so as to improve their performance. Evidence based practice acts as guide for continuous delivery of care. Continuous quality improvement is achieved through a learning process that results from regular self-audit and evaluation. This will enable continuous professional development as well. (Schroeder, 1992)
In my current position, I will use my competencies in medical knowledge, patient care, interpersonal skills and communication, to continuously improve the quality of care. Through reflective learning process, I learn from the experience gained through practice and apply them to enable constant improvement.
Self-evaluation is an important tool for continuous improvement of quality. This can be applied in different settings of care. It can be applied to improve Medicaid/Medicare, clinics and hospital performance. It can be applied to enhance individual performance. Patient and staffs can participate in the evaluation process. The quality of care, improves to the extent to which individuals or the organization achieves the desired health outcome. (Hyrkäs & Lehti, 2003)
In the book, The Improvement Guide: a practical approach to enhancing organizational performance, Langley et al., proposed the CQI model. The first step towards CQI, is to define the aim or goal to be achieved. The second step would be to measure current performance. The structure, process and outcome of care, are measured to access the present quality of care. The third step is to identify and develop an idea that will bring about the required change. The fourth step is to test this idea and learn from it. This will help to improvise the idea for practical application. Change is a gradual process and improvement in health care quality can be achieved only through coordinated action by the team. (Langley, 1996)
References
Hyrkäs, K. & Lehti, K. (2003). Continuous quality improvement through team supervision supported by continuous self-monitoring of work and systematic patient feedback. Journal Of Nursing Management, 11(3), 177-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2834.2003.00369.x
Langley, G. (1996). The Improvement Guide: a practical approach to enhancing organizational performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Schroeder, P. (1992). The Health Care Managerʼs Guide to Continuous Quality Improvement. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 6(4), 82-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001786-199207000-00015
