Six Principles of Healthcare Quality
The quality of healthcare is a set of characteristics that describe the aims of the industry. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, 2018), there are six domains, including care that is “safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.” Each instance of care can be evaluated using these elements to determine whether the provider acted with quality in mind (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, n.d.). Moreover, the assessment of errors and other problems in the organization should occur using domains that align with the goals of national healthcare institutions.
Real-World Application of Healthcare Quality Principles
While I do not have much experience that can be evaluated using the described principles, I can recall my family member’s story about almost being given the wrong type of medication during a visit to a clinic. One of my cousins told us she went to an appointment with a fever and cough, wanting to get a prescription for these symptoms. The nurse following up on the prescription order looked at the medication and reviewed my relative’s charts when he noticed the handwriting was difficult to read. The nurse had to call upon the physician and consult him about the medication and the writing. He also checked the patient’s electronic health record and explained every aspect of the correct drug. As a result, he prevented my cousin from going home with the wrong medication.
This instance is an example of how quality improvement works in preventing medication errors. The nurse in the scenario was implementing the six domains – the care was safe, as the nurse wanted to avoid harm, and effective because the nurse consulted all available data (Johnson & Sollecito, 2020). The patient’s health was respected, as well as her other characteristics, making care patient-centered and equitable. Finally, the nurse performed these activities quickly and without using other supplies, which signified timely and efficient care.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2018). Six domains of healthcare quality. Web.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (n.d.). How to improve. Web.
Johnson, J. K., & Sollecito, W. A. (2020). McLaughlin & Kaluzny’s continuous quality improvement in health care (5th ed.). Jones and Bartlett.