Elements of an Organizational Model of Health Care Performance, Quality Assessment, and Management

Over the years, healthcare facilities have observed the need for quality improvement, quality assessments, and management through models of healthcare performance. The models deal with patient satisfaction. The models have to recognize that quality care has become more than just the patient clinical outcomes. The models have different elements which operate with a common goal in a healthcare organization. The elements touch on program goals and structure, methodology and management, quality improvement projects, quality communication and improvement training, and the evaluation of outcomes and effectiveness. The focus of the paper will be on the elements of the quality model of healthcare performance.

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The organization quality program goals and objective are an essential element of the quality model. The purpose of the quality program of healthcare organizations to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction levels. The program seeks to promote the patient and clinician's safety by reducing the medical errors in the healthcare facility. The objective is to improve the quality of behavioral and preventive health care and patient outcomes. The quality structure is centered on patient safety, clinical care, nursing practice, and service delivery. The organization structure plays an essential role in enforcing the quality program (Glickman, et al., 2007). Cleveland Clinic organization structure is formal, and the leadership of the hospital is responsible for quality management. Managerial commitment ensures that all levels of leadership actively support and participate in the quality system functions and activities. The organization structure of Cleveland is designed to help the achievement of the quality goals and objectives. Example of the structure is where the joint commission engages department leaders who then involve the employees.

Quality improvement is a continuous process and leads to improved healthcare services that are measurable. Quality improvement projects are carefully selected in Cleveland hospital. The Q1 has different principles that help in choosing the quality improvement projects. The delivery systems for the Q1 has an input, process and output phase. There are expected outcomes which depict the progress and help in identifying areas of improvement (Ettorchi-Tardy, Levif, & Michel, 2012). The nursing staff provides inputs o the selection of the projects as they are at the center stage of service delivery. Monitoring the projects is done through the use of data to track the improvement. Each project is assigned a manager or a director to oversee the project. The tools used range from complex failure mode to a flowsheet for data collection and recording. The techniques and tools depend on the requirement of the projects (Hughes, 2008). An example of an improvement project is where the quality council introduced a project aimed at decreasing falls in the hospital by screening patients and having intervention measures put in place. Quality improvement represents combined efforts between stakeholders and healthcare staff with the aim of diagnosing and solving problems (Kash, Spaulding, Johnson, & Gamm, 2014). The team is involved in quality improvement in Cleveland Clinic. The team has to be effective, and the service delivery has to be reflected on the patient outcomes and satisfaction levels.

Effective communication is crucial to the Q1 program in Cleveland Clinic. Promoting awareness and understanding of the different strategies and aspects of Q1 model to the employees to ensure an active process and outcome in the hospital. Effective communication will enhance and support Q1 initiatives. There are open communication channels which present an effective way to the Q1 program. Communication can be improved through the engagement of all stakeholders and the patients to ensure a motivated team effort (Kash, Spaulding, Johnson, & Gamm, 2014). The Q1 process is measured through expected outcomes. An evaluation process is designed through the collection of data and is compared to the goals set an objective of the program. The findings are used to guide and measure the effectiveness of the Q1 initiatives. Once an action has been deemed ineffective, quality improvement measures are implemented to increase the efficacy of new strategies are employed in the hospital (McLaughlin & Kaluzny, 2004).

Examples of the Q1 initiative is screenings of patients to reduce the fatality and effects of breast cancer. The staff was encouraged to motivate patients to get free screenings in the hospital. After the testing, intervention measures to treatment are introduced, and patients are given the care they deserve. The initiatives helped to control the breast cancer menace, and the testing made patients ware of the effect of the disease and fatalities were reduced. Another example of the initiative is the blood sugar to manage patients with diabetes and increases awareness among patients. The initiative will help the nurses to offer specialized care to the diabetes patient and improve the outcomes of the patients.

Conclusion

A quality assessment, management, and health performance program will help in improving the patient outcomes and satisfaction levels. Q1 initiatives are paramount in healthcare settings and lead to improved service delivery. Implementing monitoring and management measures for the processes is crucial in identifying the quality improvement projects. Communication of the Q1 initiatives and strategies to the staff and patient is vital towards achieving the set goals and objectives.

References

Ettorchi-Tardy, A., Levif, M., & Michel, P. (2012). Benchmarking: a method for continuous quality improvement in health. Healthcare policy, 7(4), e101.

Hughes, R. G. (2008). Tools and strategies for quality improvement and patient safety.

Glickman, S. W., Baggett, K. A., Krubert, C. G., Peterson, E. D., & Schulman, K. A. (2007). Promoting quality: the health-care organization from a management perspective. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 341-348.

Kash, B. A., Spaulding, A., Johnson, C. E., & Gamm, L. (2014). Success factors for strategic change initiatives: A qualitative study of healthcare administrators' perspectives. Journal of Healthcare Management, 59(1), 65-81.

McLaughlin, C. P., & Kaluzny, A. D. (2004). Continuous quality improvement in health care: theory, implementation, and applications. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Minkman, M., Ahaus, K., & Huijsman, R. (2007). Performance improvement based on integrated quality management models: what evidence do we have? A systematic literature review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(2), 90-104.