Poor leadership, lack of collaboration, excessive workload, and poor communication are some barriers. When it comes to Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), employees may not feel like they have a stake because they do not believe they have a voice (Mizuno, 2020). Consequently, individuals may feel more like victims than participants in the process. Employees may be satisfied with the status quo and not see the need for change. Due to poor communication, employees must be aware of the information gathered and conclusions drawn through CQI.
CQI processes must be taught to employees to understand what CQI is, how it functions, and why it is necessary. Second, keep open channels of contact with employees, informing them of the data being collected and the conclusions drawn from it (Mizuno, 2020). This group must feel included in the decision-making process and be assured that their input is being considered. For CQI to be effective, staff members must feel like they are part of the action.
Plan-do-study-act (PDSA) encourages testing on a small scale and focuses on the theme and goals of improvement. It can lead to early successes that can be measured and more enthusiasm among staff. PDSA can be done quickly, with few resources, without taking risks, and without spending much time (Mizuno, 2020). The problem with using the PDSA cycle is that the four steps sometimes get done differently. The benefit of brainstorming in a group is that the others stimulate everyone. The downside is that the group will focus too quickly on one area. After coming up with ideas through brainstorming, the committee has to sort the risks into the following steps and give them a rough score.
Some employees may be reluctant to implement new policies out of fear of the unknown if they do not know what to expect. They can be concerned about how it will affect their careers or departments. Employees may be reluctant to implement change because it would increase their workload. Because they are already at capacity, they cannot take on much more. Standards of practice are valuable data sources for the committee (Mizuno, 2020). Before the committee decides which quality measures to report, they should know what data they will need to score them. The committee could use patient surveys, medical records, and administrative databases.
Reference
Mizuno, S. (2020). Management for quality improvement: The seven new QC tools. Productivity press.