Scenario
You lead the Assurance Think Tank, “Quality 4 Our System” comprised of several other leaders from within the Oakridge healthcare system. Some of the Assurance Think Tank members were debating the relevance of quality improvement initiatives and influences on patient safety and outcomes. During the meeting, you agreed to prepare an executive summary regarding quality improvement initiatives.
Student Success Criteria
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Instructions
Prepare an executive summary regarding current evidence-based quality improvements and make recommendations to integrate evidence-based practices into the quality improvement initiatives. The summary should include the following information:
Differentiate between evidence-based practice and quality improvement processes.
Summarize common threats to quality and patient safety initiatives and the role quality improvement processes can neutralize these threats.
Develop a strategic plan based on a quality improvement model to address patient safety.
A - 4 - Mastery
Detailed recommendations to integrate evidence-based practices into the quality improvement initiative with complete explanation of how it will improve initiative.
A - 4 - Mastery
Comprehensive list of differences between evidence based practice and quality improvement processes. Included multiple supporting rationales for each item on the list.
A - 4 - Mastery
Clear and thorough summary of the common threats to quality and patient safety initiatives. Provided multiple supporting rationales for how quality improvement processes can neutralize these threats.
A - 4 - Mastery
Clear and thorough information included in the strategic plan. Provided multiple supporting rationales for how the quality improvement model will increase patient safety.
Full Answer Section
- EBP: EBP uses a systematic approach to identifying, appraising, and applying evidence to clinical decision-making. This includes steps such as:
- Formulating a clinical question
- Searching for relevant evidence
- Appraising the quality of the evidence
- Integrating the evidence with clinical expertise and patient values
- Making a decision about care
- QI: QI uses a variety of methods to identify and address problems in the delivery of care. These methods may include:
- Root cause analysis
- Benchmarking
- Process improvement
- Lean Six Sigma
Timeliness
- EBP: EBP is typically a longer-term process, as it requires time to identify, appraise, and apply evidence to clinical decision-making.
- QI: QI can be a shorter-term process, as it can focus on identifying and addressing problems in the delivery of care that can be fixed quickly.
Cost
- EBP: EBP can be more costly than QI, as it requires time and resources to identify, appraise, and apply evidence to clinical decision-making.
- QI: QI can be less costly than EBP, as it can focus on identifying and addressing problems in the delivery of care that can be fixed quickly.
Support
- EBP: EBP is typically supported by professional organizations, such as the American Nurses Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges.
- QI: QI is typically supported by healthcare organizations, such as hospitals and clinics.
Challenges
- EBP: The challenges of EBP include:
- The time and resources required to identify, appraise, and apply evidence to clinical decision-making
- The difficulty of translating evidence into practice
- The variability of patient preferences
- QI: The challenges of QI include:
- The difficulty of identifying and addressing problems in the delivery of care
- The resistance to change from healthcare providers
- The lack of resources
Conclusion
EBP and QI are both important processes for improving patient outcomes. However, they have different goals, focuses, methods, timeliness, costs, support, and challenges. It is important to choose the right process for the specific situation.