Introduction
Healthcare quality is a continual improvement process to ensure the delivery of the highest quality and safest health care. The degree to which a collection of intrinsic features satisfies requirements is the definition of quality (Mannion & Davies, 2018). The quality improvement initiatives of the past few decades have led to decreased patient mortality and morbidity, higher patient satisfaction scores, and improved physician satisfaction scores (Wilensky & Teitelbaum, 2016). These quality improvement initiatives can take many forms, including a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare providers, a tool for reimbursement, or an initiative to improve population health (People, 2020). This article provides a thorough analysis of quality management in healthcare services and intends to enlighten healthcare workers regarding the importance of achieving overall quality.
Importance of Healthcare Quality in Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare quality is a critical aspect of healthcare organizations that cannot be ignored. The importance of healthcare quality is evident in how it affects patient outcomes, helps to prevent lawsuits, and contributes to overall well-being and health (People, 2020). First, healthcare quality has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Poor-quality care can lead to complications during or after surgery, which can have lasting effects on patients’ lives (Wilensky & Teitelbaum, 2016). For example, if a patient receives poor-quality care during surgery and suffers from an infection afterward, they may be unable to work or perform daily tasks. Additionally, patients receiving high-quality care are less likely to experience complications after surgery than those not receiving adequate care pre-operatively (Wang et al., 2018). Thus, healthcare quality is directly related to the health outcomes of patients.
Second, healthcare quality reduces the likelihood of lawsuits against healthcare organizations. When doctors or other medical professionals fail to provide adequate care for their patients, this is often reflected in malpractice suits against these professionals or against the organization itself (Wang et al., 2018). However, when doctors provide high-quality care, patients are less likely to experience complications that could result in lawsuits against them (Wang et al., 2018). Hospitals should also implement healthcare quality as an integral part of their business strategy because it helps them cut expenses by preventing unnecessary spending on unnecessary tests or procedures. Hospitals should ensure they follow all healthcare quality standards and regulations because this ensures that they will not get into trouble with regulators or lose any licenses due to violations.
Quality Initiatives Prevalent in Healthcare Organizations
Patient satisfaction surveys are a joint quality initiative in healthcare organizations. This can be achieved through patient satisfaction surveys or satisfaction surveys from staff members (Wilensky & Teitelbaum, 2016). These surveys provide insight into the level of customer service, quality of care, patient safety, and other factors that are important to patients. The results of these surveys can be used to make changes that will improve the overall experience for patients and staff members within the organization.
Another quality initiative uses data mining tools such as predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms. These tools help improve patient outcomes by providing insights into which patients may require more attention or intervention to ensure they receive the best care (Wilensky & Teitelbaum, 2016). At the same time, they are being treated at your facility or clinic. The third quality initiative is telemedicine technology, such as virtual visits and video conferencing platforms (Mannion & Davies, 2018). It allows physicians to consult with patients remotely through video calls instead of having them come into the facility physically for an appointment face-to-face. This can take up a lot more time and resources than if people could do a virtual visit instead, which can save money.
Quality in A Healthcare System
Quality in a healthcare system is an essential concept that many organizations have explored. Several initiatives can be used to ensure that healthcare quality is maintained and improved. The first way to ensure quality is through setting standards (Wilensky & Teitelbaum, 2016). Standards can include how things are done, what procedures exist, and how they are measured (People, 2020). For example, if an approach requires gloves and masks, those items must always be available for staff members. This ensures that everyone working at the facility is protected from infection. However, if staff members do not wear gloves or masks when they should, this could result in a disease being spread throughout the facility.
Another way to ensure quality is through auditing procedures and programs to ensure they operate effectively and efficiently. Employees can be audited internally or externally by outside sources such as inspectors or accreditors. Suppose auditing reveals problems with processes or practices within a facility. In that case, changes can be made so that these problems do not occur again in future audits, improving the overall quality of care these facility staff members provide.
The third initiative that improves quality in healthcare is called “lean management.” Lean management focuses on eliminating waste from processes by making them more efficient and effective through continuous improvement efforts across all organizational departments (People, 2020). The goal is to ensure every patient receives high-quality care while reducing costs associated with delivering that care.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healthcare quality improvements can occur at the organizational and individual levels. Many organizations have created systems, methods, and programs to improve care delivery and reduce the potential for medical errors. Organizations are also implementing several new programs designed to decrease healthcare costs through a process known as high reliability. Individual-level quality improvement occurs when physicians acknowledge that they must play a decisive leadership role because they provide the majority of patient care. Physicians must work collaboratively with nurses, technicians, patients, and families to improve care delivery quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Although there continue to be some challenges with implementing these programs, there is a positive trend across many organizations aimed at improving overall healthcare providers’ performance to achieve higher healthcare quality.
References
Mannion, R., & Davies, H. (2018). Understanding organizational culture for healthcare quality improvement. BMJ, 363. Web.
People, H. (2020). Internet. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Web.
Wilensky, S. E., & Teitelbaum, J. B. (2019). Essentials of health policy and law. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Wang, Y., Kung, L., & Byrd, T. A. (2018). Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations. Technological forecasting and social change, 126, 3-13. Web.