Introduction
Healthcare has initiated research-related programs geared towards effective and efficient quality and performance usually done through periodic assessment. The use of clinical IT systems is necessary to drive organizations into achieving operational excellence, reduce readmission, increase safety and provide appropriate settings. The indicators of quality assessment in the healthcare model include better communication; initiating patient-based approach, focus on staff job satisfaction and remuneration, provide training to staff and having appropriate healthcare facilities (Huber, 2005).
To be able to provide the quality services, organizations have to lay proper strategies to achieve its objective. This essay explores how the organization’s quality programs and objectives are met, the quality management structure, whether or not there exists a formal structure, the person responsible for quality management in the organization, and quality methodologies among others.
Quality of Healthcare Program Goals and Objectives
In a bid to provide quality services to the patients, healthcare has adopted the following program goals and objectives. First, there are efforts to make the quality improvement easier. It is done through the use of CPOE decision support. For this goal to be achieved, there must be interactions between the physicians, nurses, and the management through efficient and effective communication. Secondly, there are efforts to increase clinical efficiency by identifying and developing activities that are geared towards employee and patient safety at the hospital. This effort is done through diagnosis and therapies to determine its value to the patients. (Vincent, 2010).
Organizational Quality Management Structure
Brown (2002) suggested that quality management concepts should show the management the role that they play in supporting the structure of an organization. For instance, there is a top-to-down approach of management that gives the management the mandate of formulating policies for the institution. The schematic diagram shown below indicates the management structure that delivers some of the best results for organizations.
Selection of Quality Project Improvement
After the projects have been identified the next step is the selection process. Under the selection process all the alternatives for the given projects are weighed in terms of their benefits, ease of use by the staff, costs and the limitations. The selected project is then taken for further analysis and scrutiny. According to (Huber, 2005, factors determining the choice of selection will depend on cost, relevance, the effects of improvement of the project and practicality of the selected project. In order to manage health care effectively, there must be a proper channel of communication from top management to subordinates and vice versa, which creates multi-disciplinary teams that monitor the system on a daily basis to avoid breakdowns.
Inputs of Nurses in Quality Improvement
Nurses’ inputs are needed for verification on the workability of the chosen project. Moreover, nurses can give their views on whether; the selected project is relevant and practical to the chosen organization. Nurses participate in both labor force and are also accumulators and producers of knowledge in driving organizational change and building healthy organizations.
Training In Quality Improvement Processes
Organizing Seminars and Workshops
Nurses are trained on how to handle and react to different emergency issues, which helps in reducing cases of doctor errors. Training medical practitioners on safety will not only benefit them but also the patients
Simulation Techniques
Simulation involves using techniques such as case studies and mock equipment that relates to factual and practical experiences. The techniques assist the practitioners to develop confidence while on their jobs. For example hospitals in England use actors to assist nurses to develop critical thinking and safety awareness skills.
Quality Methodology and Tools
The methodology and tools used in quality improvement activities include the innovative participatory approach that may be used to facilitate workforce engagement, and promote organizational learning and positive organizational change in health care. It aims at building an effective partnership and collaborations to meet the needs of the organization.
The quality improvement activities in the health centres include: improvement of the equipment used, adding the number of staff in every department to reduce the shortage of staff which pose a challenge, carrying out research about the pandemic disease, building more laboratory to facilitate quality research and employ more qualified and competent doctors and nurses (Vincent, 2010).
Communication of QI Activities and Evaluation
The quality improvement activities are communicated to the staff through fostering innovative ideas and allowing nurses the opportunity to exchange the information between the management and among them. This approach allows change process to start from different stakeholders. Thus effective communication is better for quality improvement. The organization has to provide good structures that do not restrict information from junior staff whose information could be used in the change process. An example of an initiative used is sigma six and plan-do-study act.
Conclusion
In conclusion, quality management should be encouraged in healthcare to facilitate proper management, monitoring and evaluation by the management and staff. Such a move enables different activities to be done smoothly, effectively and efficiently. For an organization to initiate quality improvement there must be involvement of all the stakeholders and the drive to change should be gradual to reduce the resistance.
References
Brown, M. (2002). Health care management: Strategy, structure, and process. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons
Huber, D. (2005) Leadership and nursing care management. Md: Aspen Publishers
Vincent, C. (2010). Patient Safety. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.