Quality is one of the metrics used by companies and organizations in evaluating performance. Naturally, it is a higher level of quality (either of product or service) that organizations want. This can be done using numerous ways. One way is to integrate the use of information technology to improve the efficiency of a healthcare organization’s operations. This increases the overall quality of service that they provide as patients and clients would of course prefer a faster service that would not require them to wait on queues and long lines just to be accommodated.
In order to consistently improve the quality of products and or services that an organization offers, a Quality Improvement plan must be put in place. The goals and objectives of QI plans may vary from one organization to another. In the case of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, for example, the goal of their QI plan was to “help providers self-assess their performance in delivering quality education and care to plan future improvements” and “help the regulatory authorities with their assessment of the service” . Other more specific goals of a desirable QI plan would most likely include: identification of the different areas that the providers consider may require quality improvement, and ensuring that the organization’s statement, core values, and philosophies are being mirrored in their practice.
What QI plans try to prevent is stagnation; in some cases, it also effectively combats mindsets that are based on mediocrity. It helps organizations strive for excellence in all situations. In the case of Davis Healthcare, it would be safe to say that the healthcare products and services that it offers are not a hundred percent perfect and or efficient; which only means that it, just like any other organizations, can benefit from the implementation of a well-brainstormed QI plan. According to the (HRSA, 2016), the key components of a QI plan would normally include:
A thorough description of its goals and objectives, priorities, and policies
A thorough description of the organizational systems and entities that it tries to target and the specific programs it tries to implement; including the creation of specific QI committees, their respective functions, roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities
The key processes for obtaining stakeholder feedbacks
Outcome measures for evaluation
A thorough description of the implementation and continuous evaluation plan
QI plans do not need to follow a strict set of standards when it comes to planning, implementation, or evaluation. This is because organizations tend to use QI plans for various goals and reasons; as a result, it should not be uncommon to see QI plan that have different structures.
As for the appropriate situations where a QI plan can be used, they can be used practically in all situations. If an industry leader in the healthcare industry wants to keep its dominant position, for example, it could greatly benefit from the continuous improvements on product and or service quality that implementing a QI plan would bring . The same is true for a newly established organization who wants to make dramatic changes in the industry where it is operating; a high level of quality of product and or service can work wonders. In most cases, this is one of the most influential metrics that consumers and stakeholders consider when making purchasing. Therefore, it would really pay to invest time, effort, and resources towards continuous quality improvements, especially for organizations operating in delicate fields such as the healthcare industry.
References
Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority. (2016). Quality Improvement Plans. Retrieved from http://www.acecqa.gov.au/quality-improvement-plan_1.
Health Resources and Services Administration. (2016). Developing and Implementing a QI Plan. United States Department of Health and Human Services , Retrieved from http://www.hrsa.gov/quality/toolbox/methodology/developingandimplementingaqiplan/part4.html.
Hughes, R. (2011). Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/.
