Reasons for Defining Quality Care
Quality improvement (QI) entails a systematic and consistent procedure leading to improvement of health care services and health care status for a particular patient group. Quality improvement plays an important role in health service practices. Improvement of a nation’s health care is one of the major objectives of quality improvement in health services. There are myriad of principles involved in quality improvement. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), an organization’s current system is referred to as how things are currently done in health care services. Health care performance, on the other hand, can be used to describe the efficiency of health care services and patients’ satisfaction to the type of service offered by the institution. The quality service of an organization is always related to the type of service offered. As a result, it is important for organizations to maintain a perfect organization’s current system in order to improve on the quality status of the organization.
Foundational Frameworks of QI
There is always incorporation of the following frameworks in quality improvement efforts, in an organization.
- Quality work as a system and processes
- In an effort to improve the quality status of an organization, there need to be a clear understanding of own delivery systems and major processes involved. The underlying concept is based on addressing resource and activities together in an effort to improve the quality of health care. The key components of health care delivery are comprised of inputs, processes, and outcomes.
- Focus on patients
In order to improve on the quality of health care services, patients’ needs and expectations are to be given priority. The services needed or demanded to have first priority by patients include patient safety, support for patient engagement, systems affecting patients’ access, and cultural competence.
- Focus on being part of the team
Quality improvement is a team work process. As a result, it is important for each and every participant to feel a part and parcel of the whole group in achieving the targeted objectives. An organization’s teamwork is an important aspect in achieving quality improvement needed. Contribution of different ideas from individuals is a healthy process of achieving desired organizational goals.
- Focus on the use of the data
The use of data is an important aspect of health care quality services. The use of data enables efficient working of current systems. Data is important in an organization since it helps establish a baseline, allow comparison between sites, and minimizes changes of ineffective solutions among others.
Roles of Various Clinicians and Patients in QI
The quality improvement staff is obligated with the following roles in a quality improvement program: Day to day leader is responsible for keeping the day to day work going on, measure the teams’ performance, and responsible for keeping in touch within the entire QI group.The data entry person is responsible for data entry in the system and is required to access and submit regular reports. Operations person is usually involved in the integrated current system and obligated in providing designs for new processes. A data specialist is responsible collecting and analyzing data and uses the quality improvement tools.
Importance of Quality Management
Quality management is an important aspect in health care service in producing quality improvement results oriented towards an organization’s goals. Quality management is crucial in facilitating organizational efficiency in service delivery and ensuring that patients’ needs are met. It is thus important for an organization to keep abreast of the management health care practices in order to have a productive workforce and effective coordination between patients and health care attendants.
Quality Monitoring Areas
There are various areas, which require special attention in quality improvement procedures. For instance, clinical audits need to be monitored effectively to ensure everything runs smoothly. An external evaluation team can be of help in reviewing clinical audits. Confidentiality of patients’ records is an important area to put an emphasis on since patients’ records carry crucial information. Confidentiality of peer review is another area that needs to be cross checked and monitored to ensure quality improvement. For an effective peer review, all parties involved should actively participate and recognize its importance.
Accrediting Organizations and their Roles
There are various accrediting and regulatory organizations involved in quality improvement in efficiency, in its processes. They include the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Food and Drug Administration among others. These organizations are responsible for ensuring patients’ safety and quality healthcare for all patients. Apart from ensuring patients’ quality service and safety, these accreditation organizations are obligated in protecting human health standards and ensure individuals receive better health care facilities and treatment.
Resources and Organizations an Affecting QI
There are various resources, which are helpful in the improvement of quality service within the health care institutions. For instance HRSA acknowledges the use of the HRSA quality toolkit in improving the existing QI program through effective strategies and techniques. There are also agencies and organizations which are obligated in improving the quality of service offered. For instance, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a lead federal agency obligated with improving quality, efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of health care for United States citizens. The agency supports research for improving the quality of health in the U.S.
References
Brock, J., & Mitchell, J. (2013). Association Between Quality Improvement for Care Transitions in Communities and Rehospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol 309, No. 4 , 381-391.
Mainz, J. (2003). Defining and classifying clinical indicators for quality improvement. Journal for Quality Health Care, volume 15, issue 6 , 523-530.
Warren, K. (2003). QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: THE FOUNDATION, PROCESSES, TOOLS, AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER TECHNIQUES. T h e H e a l t h c a r e Q u a l i t y B o o k , 64-84.
Wyszewianski, L. (2011). BASIC CONCEPTS OF HEALTHCARE QUALITY . In The Healthcare Quality Book (pp. 25-41). New York: Health Administration Press.
