Apply models of quality improvement to institutional challenges within the healthcare industry.
Student Success Criteria
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Scenario
You have recently been hired as a lead consultant for the University Medical Center. You have been working with the quality team and the Chief Quality Officer (CQO) on a long-term plan to improve patient satisfaction. The most recent survey results showed a 5% decline in overall patient satisfaction. Based on a review of the survey data, slow response time to call buttons ranked highest in terms of the source of dissatisfaction among patients. The team has decided to prioritize the management of call button response time to improve the patient satisfaction rates. In addition to improving patient satisfaction, decreasing the call button response time can support operational efficiency goals and can ultimately have a positive impact on the bottom line of the medical center. The long-term plan will be reflected in best practices, which will be implemented. Your project has almost come to completion and now it is time to summarize your improvement plan to the CEO.
Instructions
Write an executive summary to the CQO regarding best practices to improve patient satisfaction survey results. Your summary should include:
One model of quality improvement as it relates to decreasing call button response time.
An explanation of how the model will lead to an increase in patient survey response rates.
Several strategies to engage both patients and healthcare staff in the quality improvement initiative as this new model is implemented. The strategies should include ways to increase patient satisfaction.
A - 4 - Mastery
Clear and thorough evaluation of the one model of quality improvement. Included comprehensive descriptions of the model with multiple examples of how the model is used.
A - 4 - Mastery
Clear and thorough explanation of how call button response time can be met with the selected model of quality improvement. Included description of the challenge and at least two examples of how the model can decrease the challenge.
A - 4 - Mastery
Clear and thorough strategy to engage healthcare staff in quality improvement initiatives. Included comprehensive descriptions each strategic step and multiple ways that the healthcare staff will be engaged.
Full Answer Section
I would like to identify Yoko Ono as a creator from the twentieth or twenty-first century who made an important contribution to art and culture in the form of cultural works that impacted society.
Yoko Ono is a Japanese artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. She is known for her conceptual art, which often explores themes of peace, love, and social commentary. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, and she has received numerous awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1966.
The Model for Improvement has been used to improve a variety of processes in healthcare, including:
- Patient safety: The Model for Improvement has been used to reduce the number of medical errors.
- Hospital efficiency: The Model for Improvement has been used to improve the efficiency of hospitals, leading to lower costs and shorter wait times.
- Patient satisfaction: The Model for Improvement has been used to improve patient satisfaction with care.
Lean
Lean is a management philosophy that focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency. Lean can be applied to any process, including healthcare processes.
One of the key principles of Lean is to "flow the work." This means that work should be organized in a way that it flows smoothly from one step to the next. This can be done by eliminating bottlenecks and unnecessary steps.
Lean also emphasizes the importance of "visual management." This means that information about the process should be visible to everyone involved in the process. This helps to ensure that everyone is aware of the current state of the process and can identify problems as they arise.
Lean has been used to improve a variety of processes in healthcare, including:
- The patient journey: Lean has been used to improve the patient journey, making it easier for patients to navigate the healthcare system.
- The medication process: Lean has been used to improve the medication process, reducing the risk of medication errors.
- The surgical process: Lean has been used to improve the surgical process, reducing the risk of surgical complications.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a quality improvement methodology that focuses on reducing variation in processes. Six Sigma uses a variety of tools and techniques to identify and eliminate sources of variation.
One of the key tools of Six Sigma is the "DMAIC" process:
- Define: Define the problem that you want to improve.
- Measure: Measure the current state of the process.
- Analyze: Analyze the data to identify the sources of variation.
- Improve: Implement changes to the process to reduce variation.
- Control: Implement controls to ensure that the improvements are sustained.
Six Sigma has been used to improve a variety of processes in healthcare, including:
- The diagnosis process: Six Sigma has been used to improve the diagnosis process, reducing the number of misdiagnoses.
- The treatment process: Six Sigma has been used to improve the treatment process, reducing the risk of treatment errors.
- The discharge process: Six Sigma has been used to improve the discharge process, reducing the risk of readmissions.
These are just a few examples of how models of quality improvement can be applied to institutional challenges within the healthcare industry. By using these models, healthcare organizations can improve the quality of care and reduce costs.