Quality Improvement Report

Quality Improvement Report

This paper will review quality improvement (QI). The foundational frameworks of QI will be discussed. Why various health care stakeholders define the quality of care differently will be provided, along with the roles of various clinicians and patients in QI. Why quality management is needed in the health care industry will be reviewed, and with what areas must be monitored for quality. The accrediting and regulatory organizations involved in QI will be given, along with their roles. Finally, helpful resources and organizations that affect QI will be provided.

Quality improvement is an organizational approach to improve quality of care and services using a specified set of principles and methodologies. Principles of quality improvement are measurements, which the data is used to improve care, focusing on the important patient outcomes and consumer needs, being involved with participants, such as encouraging direct participation in teams by those individuals who implement the processes being evaluated. Ensuring there is an emphasis on strengthening the systems through analyzes and processes is a must.

A framework is a tool to organize the way an organization would think about health care quality. Many frameworks have been developed such as European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Chronic Care Model (CCM), and HIVQUAL, which improves the quality of HIV services supported through the HIV/AIDS Bureau. Frameworks include multiple performance dimensions, consist of multiple enablers (organizational factors) and presume relationships. Selection of a framework depends on the quality improvement focus such as: immunization rates, pap smear rates, waiting times, adherence rates to ascertain performance in each of these areas. Many frameworks are built upon existing frameworks or approaches to quality improvement. Common quality methodologies used in health care organizations are the plan-do-check-act cycle (PDCA) and Six Sigma (Minkman, 2007).

Using a methodology that is based on data and statistical analysis, measures help employees, managers, administrators and members of the governance committees to share clearly defined goals that stem from a specific philosophical position and to share a commitment to excellence and improvement (Dlugacz, 2006). Stakeholders in health care have various prospective on quality of care and which translate into different ratings of quality. To consumers quality may be defined as receiving satisfactory service where all of their needs were met. To employees quality may also be defined as meeting the patient's needs and providing safe care to them. To managers and administrators quality may be defined as providing care within budget along with receiving high patient satisfaction scores. To secondary payers quality may be defined as providing care at minimal costs.

Roles that health care workers have when determining quality care vary. The main role is assessing the patient, diagnose, monitor, observe treatments, and respond to changes. Other roles are making sure the patient is in a safe environment, communication with all parties involved, making sure the patient is eating and drinking well, and make sure the patient is using proper hygiene. Measuring quality care is important for the patient as well as the providers and the facility. Patients input on their care gives insight their view of the care being provided, and allows for identification of areas that may need to be further evaluated and improved upon.

Quality management is needed in health care because it looks at the big picture, and all the steps in it to put things into effect to prevent problems or defects from occurring. In health care quality