Last Updated on November 21, 2022 by Admin
Quality Improvement Proposal
Identify a quality improvement opportunity in your organization or practice. In a 1,250-1,500 word paper, describe the problem or issue and propose a quality improvement initiative based on evidence-based practice. Apply \”The Road to Evidence-Based Practice\” process, illustrated in Chapter 4 of your textbook, to create your proposal.
Include the following:
- Provide an overview of the problem and the setting in which the problem or issue occurs.
- Explain why a quality improvement initiative is needed in this area and the expected outcome.
- Discuss how the results of previous research demonstrate support for the quality improvement initiative and its projected outcomes. Include a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years, not included in the Class Resources or textbook, that establish evidence in support of the quality improvement proposed.
- Discuss steps necessary to implement the quality improvement initiative. Provide evidence and rationale to support your answer.
- Explain how the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated to determine whether there was improvement.
- Support your explanation by identifying the variables, hypothesis test, and statistical test that you would need to prove that the quality improvement initiative succeeded.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Lopes Write. A link to the Lopes Write technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Expert Answer and Explanation
Quality Improvement Proposal
Quality improvement in healthcare is an obligation for every professional in healthcare. Throughout medical history, many people have been working on quality improvement, and as a result, they have come up with more efficient ways of handling varying ailments, increasing the patients’ levels of recovery and further improving patients’ satisfaction. One of the issues that need constant improvement is the improvement of care coordination among varying departments. Even with improved technologies, there is still a gap in patients’ coordination, leading to high satisfaction levels amongst many patients.
Overview Of The Problem And The Setting In Which The Issue Occurs
Departmental coordination in patients’ care should be automatic and easy to implement for most patients. However, when a patient visits a department, for instance, to see a physician for a diagnosis, they are ordered to have tests done in the laboratory. While this is easy, there is usually a delay as the patient has to wait in line even after seeing the doctor. In some circumstances, some physicians fail to load the patients’ data into the system, and the patient has to be sent back or wait for the lab technicians to ask for their data. In other situations, some of the required examinations are unclear, and the patient has to narrate their status to the lab technicians to determine the proper tests (Schot et al. 2020). This leads to deep dissatisfaction among patients and further affects their general view of the hospital and further become skeptical of the treatment received.
Why Quality Improvement Initiative Is Needed And The Expected Outcome
With the increased competition in healthcare providers, quality improvement ensures that the hospital can enjoy a competitive advantage over other healthcare providers. There are many complaints concerning care coordination, with some patients swearing that they will never consult the hospital’s services. A closer investigation at the cause of the current issue reveals an interprofessional coordination question, with some members arguing that they are given roles that do not belong to them. In contrast, others claim they are overwhelmed and overworked by other professionals in the hospital. Moreover, some professionals, such as lab technicians, feel that their role is overlooked and are not given clear instructions on how to deal with urgent and incoming cases (Schot et al. 2020). As a result, they end up frustrating the patients even further. The expected outcome of this quality improvement initiative is that there will be increased coordination among employees, retraining and improving the IT department communication system hence increasing consumer satisfaction.
How Results Of Previous Research Support The Quality Improvement Initiative
One of the studies is by Busari et al. (2017). The research aimed to understand how interprofessional can enhance care coordination in a limited resource facility. The results show that the main issue experienced is the lack of information, and by increasing knowledge sharing and ensuring respect among the varying professionals, it is possible to increase care coordination regardless of the limiting factors. Another study is by Hustoft et al. (2018), and it discussed a rehabilitation facility whose success was heavily dependent on competent professionals expected to collaborate effectively. After questioning the patients, it is clear that teams with high relationship scores improved the outcomes of the rehabilitation program. Research by Schot et al. (2020) explained that the main issue that is dealt with in care coordination is the difference in professional perspective between the nurses and the doctors. Additionally, communication divides and task division further adversely influences care division. Addressing these factors makes it possible for healthcare professionals to offer coordinated care in the long run.
Necessary Steps To Implement Quality Improvement Initiatives
The hospital’s main quality improvement initiative will focus on improving interprofessional communication, improving the flow of information through IT, and redefining the interprofessional roles. It is essential to focus on a change model to implement a quality improvement initiative in the hospital. One of the most effective change models is the Lewin’s model of change (Hussain et al. 2018). At first, the hospital will address the issue, commenting on the importance and timeline of difference to the stakeholders. After that, the change will take place through a series of manageable steps, and if successful, the change will be made permanent. This model provides a simplified way of implementing change and ensures that all stakeholders are informed, increasing the change model’s success rate. In this case, the stakeholders include all employees who directly work with patients.
How Quality Improvement Initiative Will Be Evaluated
The consumers’ satisfaction level will determine the quality improvement success. Through a survey carried out before the experiment, it will be possible to understand the current satisfaction status. Notably, during the first study, the patients will be asked about possible recommendations to increase their satisfaction levels, which will be accounted for in the following (Karaca & Durna, 2019). After the quality improvement initiative, a similar survey will take place, and the difference will be evaluated to show if the change program was successful or was proven to be a failure.
Variables, Hypothesis Tests, And Statistical Test Needed To Show That The Initiative Was Successful
The variables for the quality improvement will be patients’ satisfaction level and the time taken for them to be served. Time taken will be the independent variable, while the level of satisfaction will be the dependent variable. The hypothesis test, in this case, will be that with increased care coordination among interprofessional, the patients’ satisfaction, recovery time and perception of the hospital will be high. However, with poor care coordination, patients will be highly unsatisfied and likely to refrain from revisiting the hospital. The statistical correlation test will be the most applicable in this care improvement plan.
Conclusion
Quality improvement initiatives are paramount in every healthcare organization. Through them, a healthcare center can improve on its current shortcomings and is further able to ensure improved patient outcomes. Over the years, organizations have increased their quality of care, and with the increased competition, it becomes necessary for companies to keep on trying to gain a competitive advantage in the industry. One of the issues currently experienced in my organization is inadequate interprofessional care coordination. When patients are being transferred from one professional to a different one, there are communication and directive issues, and this causes a lot of dissatisfaction as patients have to wait for hours before their information is clarified and processed. Sometimes, patients have had to retell their symptoms and ailment several times, significantly discouraging them from visiting the hospital. Lewin’s model of change will be important in addressing the issue. The main focus will be on improving communication and clarifying roles among the interprofessional, and this way, it will be possible to improve the patients’ experience in the hospital.
References
Busari, J. O., Moll, F. M., & Duits, A. J. (2017). Understanding the impact of interprofessional collaboration on the quality of care: a case report from a small-scale resource limited health care environment. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 10, 227.
Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127.
Hustoft, M., Biringer, E., Gjesdal, S., Aβmus, J., & Hetlevik, Ø. (2018). Relational coordination in interprofessional teams and its effect on patient-reported benefit and continuity of care: a prospective cohort study from rehabilitation centres in Western Norway. BMC health services research, 18(1), 1-9.
Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing open, 6(2), 535-545.
Schot, E., Tummers, L., & Noordegraaf, M. (2020). Working on working together. A systematic review on how healthcare professionals contribute to interprofessional collaboration. Journal of interprofessional care, 34(3), 332-342.
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