What quality improvement tool would you use to identify possible reasons for the increase in complaints about the HIM department?
The quality improvement tool that I would use to identify possible problems is brainstorming. This tool would be useful, as it would help generate a pool of ideas within a short span of time as to the reason for many complaints about the HIM. I also think that this action need to be done as fast as possible because the number of complaints are increasing at an alarming rate. Brainstorming is also useful in this case because it helps overcome issues that can sterilize or make group problem-solving process unsatisfactory (Sollecito & Johnson, 2011). Brainstorming will also help buy in from the team members for the chosen solution because all members get involved in identification of possible reasons for increased complaints.
What quality improvement tool would you use to gather information to confirm the reasons for the complaints about the HIM department?
The quality improvement tool that I would use to gather information to confirm the complaints about the HIM department is Cause and Effect diagram. This tool would be useful as it works like a structured questionnaire. This tool is more structured and defined compared to brainstorming alone. As such, this tool would be able to show a direct cause for each problem as well as their actual or probable cause. In my opinion, this tool provides a good visual aid because it combines brainstorming with concrete visual aids to help in formulating solutions. This tool aids in gathering relevant information and data critical in supporting the analysis of the problem. Cause and Effect diagram helps in identifying the causes of the problem in order to devise a solution to the problem.
The team leader should be responsible for defining roles and responsibilities because this function is undertaken with the needs and proficiency of team members in mind. The team leader has access to all these information and has the ability to defining roles and responsibilities to team members after considering ability and knowledge. This would help increase cooperation between the clinic receptionists and HIM staff if the organization would define phone responsibilities between the two departments.
References:
Marquis, L. B. & Huston, C. J. (2009). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Sollecito, W. & Johnson, J. (2011). McLaughlin and Kaluzny's continuous quality improvement in health care. Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
