Improving Quality of Health Care Services
Improving Quality of Health Care Services
The U.S. leads the way in many areas into the future of economy, wealth and civilization. America spends more on heath care than any other nation with quality and safety being a key focus. Nevertheless, evidence of improvement of decreased errors is limited. We lack answers to financial stability and providing quality health care to all (Becher & Chassin, 2001). Nationally, everyone is engaged in improving the quality and safety of healthcare. We need to be awakened to preventing errors and providing safer care (Laureate, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the initiative to improve quality and safety of health care with the “Six Dimensions of Goodness in Healthcare.”
A quality and/or safety initiative
Healthcare facilities are engaging in the prevention of medical errors and providing better care. Many institutions are implementing process improvement focused on six key dimensions to enhance the quality and safety in their healthcare setting (Laureate, 2009). The six dimensions are: Safety-to avoid injury to patients from the care that is intended to help them; Timeliness-to reduce waits and harmful delays; Effectiveness-to provide services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refrain from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding overuse and underuse, respectively); Efficiency-to avoid waste; Equitability-to provide care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographical location, and socioeconomic status; and Patient centeredness-to provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values (Madhok, 2002).
Reasons for the initiative
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has a growing concern about medical errors. The IOM report “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” asked for a basis change, recommending that the delivery of health care be based on six key
The U.S. leads the way in many areas into the future of economy, wealth and civilization. America spends more on heath care than any other nation with quality and safety being a key focus. Nevertheless, evidence of improvement of decreased errors is limited. We lack answers to financial stability and providing quality health care to all (Becher & Chassin, 2001). Nationally, everyone is engaged in improving the quality and safety of healthcare. We need to be awakened to preventing errors and providing safer care (Laureate, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the initiative to improve quality and safety of health care with the “Six Dimensions of Goodness in Healthcare.”
A quality and/or safety initiative
Healthcare facilities are engaging in the prevention of medical errors and providing better care. Many institutions are implementing process improvement focused on six key dimensions to enhance the quality and safety in their healthcare setting (Laureate, 2009). The six dimensions are: Safety-to avoid injury to patients from the care that is intended to help them; Timeliness-to reduce waits and harmful delays; Effectiveness-to provide services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refrain from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding overuse and underuse, respectively); Efficiency-to avoid waste; Equitability-to provide care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographical location, and socioeconomic status; and Patient centeredness-to provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values (Madhok, 2002).
Reasons for the initiative
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has a growing concern about medical errors. The IOM report “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” asked for a basis change, recommending that the delivery of health care be based on six key
References: Becher, E. & Chassin, M. (2001) Improving quality, minimizing error: Making it happen. Health Affair(20)3 68-81 Jiang, H. (2010). Enhancing quality oversight. Healthcare Executive (3) 80-83. Retrieved from Walden University Library website: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenlibrary.org. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). The context of healthcare delivery. Baltimore: Author. Madhok, R. ( 2002). Crossing the quality chasm: lessons from health care quality improvement efforts in England Retrieved on February 6, 2011 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1276338/ (2002). Retrieved on February 2, 2011 from http://www.nccmerp.org/council/council2002-06-11.htm Quality initiatives in healthcare management, (2004, March). Healthcare Management. Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from http://www.expresshealthcaremgmt.com/20040331/qualitymanagement01.shtml Redman, R. (2008). Experience and expertise: how do they relate to quality and safety? Research and Theory for Nursing practice: An International Journal, 22 (4), 222-224 Sultz, H. A., & Young, K. M. (2011). Health care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery (7th ed.)