Article Comprehension
The Main Concepts
The health care sector is essential for the Unites States public; thus, it had to implement quality improvement (QI) to advance medical practices and outcomes. The article mentions three main concepts introduced to strengthen public health care on various levels (AcademyHealth, 2009). The first initiative is the creation of the Public Health Quality Forum (PHQF), which assists in creating a set of goals, developing a standardized framework, and establishing quality indicators. The next concept is the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) that is aimed at developing an accreditation system. Lastly, the Multi-State Learning Collaborative (MLC) is the initiative that performs various functions, such as preparation for accreditation and implementation of QI practices. Finally, it assists in the improvement of cooperation between healthcare actors and researches essential medical topics.
The Positive Outcomes
The article presents two case studies, where the second and third phases of MLC were implemented. The first example is the successful incorporation of the QI into Minnesota’s public health care (AcademyHealth, 2009). The project was conducted on a local level and had various positive outcomes, as the majority of participants found QI important for their departments. Moreover, the program’s collaborative nature allowed specialists to learn more about QI, which motivated them to implement it in their future practices. Lastly, individuals agreed that the management was supportive, causing 250 professionals to improve their knowledge and skills in QI and its methods (AcademyHealth, 2009). The second case study describes the efforts of the South Carolina health care department to implement the MLC phase with a focus on tobacco use and the effects of second-hand smoke. The project’s outcomes were positive, as the department’s large size did not prevent them from successfully monitoring the progress. Overall, this MLC helped to match the model’s standards, assisted with the gap between data and practical application, and improved the overall performance.
Quality Improvements in Public Health
The Systematic Usage of QI
Various members of public health care should systematically use QI. The process involves the regular assessment of public health plans, methods, and procedures (AcademyHealth, 2009). Moreover, each member of the system should critically evaluate the system and determine aspects that have to be developed to improve general outcomes. QI is vital for organizations that want to improve their performance and introduce long-term changes. Thus, the application of a planning framework that focuses on the departments’ mission and performance quality and enables regular monitoring is recommended as the most efficient planning framework (Sadeghi et al., 2013). Therefore, public health institutions can systematically use QI by introducing various monitoring measures and evaluating quality-improving strategies.
Reflection on Goals, Values, and Vision
Goals and values are crucial for an organization’s identification and success. These aspects are considered particularly valuable because they guide members of institutions towards achievable objectives. Moreover, they help develop a strong foundation for a company’s vision, which also plays a vital role in effective communication (Sadeghi et al., 2013). All of the principles mentioned above give organizations clear guidelines. Thus, an institution can be exceptionally efficient after connecting values, goals, and vision statements with its current status and future intentions. Therefore, the most effective QI should reflect all three aspects of each institution, which will provide essential directions to workers and improve the quality of the project.
Future Development
Findings’ Implementation
One of the primary reforms of the healthcare system helped contemporary medical specialists develop a solution that ensures QI implementation. Patients’ satisfaction and exceptional quality assistance are vital for public healthcare. Therefore, the idea of a national health information system was suggested, helping policymakers and administrators fully comprehend the situation within the public healthcare sphere (Sadeghi et al., 2013). Thus, public health information can help to establish necessary quality standards or revise contemporary projects. Therefore, cooperation is essential to ensure the implementation of findings discovered with the use of QI.
Public Health Improvements
Various reforms in the past, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), contain different fundamental components that promote excellent healthcare quality. For instance, one of the essential initiatives was creating the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and a National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care (Sadeghi et al., 2013). Therefore, through innovative reforms, public health actors support the creation of strategic plans, which have a positive impact on the future development of QI programs. Collaboration between various healthcare actors can be improved in the future through technological innovation, which will positively influence the quality of QI as a whole.
National and Local Development
Many initiatives and reforms are aimed at introducing future quality improvement development on both national and local levels. For instance, the PHAB is focused on generating a voluntary national framework for the national, local, and regional actors of public health care (AcademyHealth, 2009). Therefore, providing a platform for cooperation between national and local specialists and other stakeholders through shared experience and unique research has produced many efficient practices. Thus, future development will only increase the level of cooperation between both stages.
Development for Various Stakeholders
The future of QI is a shift from the stage of individual projects to a well-integrated program with centralized leadership. This step can positively contribute to coherent supervision aiming at integrating policies and procedures. This approach is useful for various stakeholders because individual public health personnel’s work can affect the creation of a national medical framework (Riley & Love, 2016). Thus, the centralized structure can combine the public sector’s logistical resources with medical professionals’ experience and private investors’ finances to benefit healthcare consumers by improving their quality of life.
References
AcademyHealth. (2013). Quality improvement in public health: Lessons learned from the multi-state learning Collaborative. Web.
Riley, W., J., & Love, K. (2016). Quality improvement in public health: Current status and future prospects. Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research, 5(4), 1–4. Web.
Sadeghi, M., Barzi, A., Mikhail O., & Shabot, M., M. (2013). Integrating quality and strategy in health care organizations. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.