Leading Organizations for Quality Improvement

Leading Organizations for Quality Improvement Initiatives

QUALITY MEASURES AND SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT QI INITIATIVES

INTRODUCTION

What does learning have to do with quality improvement? Why is it required?

Quality improvement requires constant learning. Learning about new and improved practices. Learning about patient care and experiences. Learning about organizational culture and change. In order for quality improvement initiatives to work, learning must be a fundamental aspect of the practice and/or organization.
How can you, a future DNP-prepared nurse, work to encourage continual change and learning? What role can you serve in supporting quality improvement for your organization or nursing practice?
In this module, you will explore the use of quality improvement through the lens of quality improvement initiatives and organizational culture. You will explore the methods and systems used to enact these initiatives, as well as consider your role and organization’s role in the implementation of quality improvement. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MODULE?

Module 3: Quality Measures and Systems to Support QI Initiatives is a 2-week module—Weeks 5 and 6 of the course—in which you examine the use of quality measures and systems to support quality improvement initiatives. In your Discussions and Assignments, for this module, you will extend your understanding of quality improvement to the exploration of the systems and methods as it relates to patient experience. You will also analyze cultural and organizational readiness and influence for promoting quality improvement.

THE PATIENT’S EXPERIENCE IN HEALTHCARE

DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION

For every action, there is a reaction, and among the reactions to the increased interest in patient experience has been skepticism about the measures and their importance. Providers worry that the measures reflect “hotel functions” rather than determinants of patients’ health outcomes.

– Nash et al., 2019, p. 236

Whether from a survey, panel, or individual interviews, collecting and measuring data about patient experience is not an easy task, or a task without controversy. There are many schools of thought concerning the best way to approach analyzing the patient experience, and there are many methods and measures used to analyze the patient experience.

This week, you will explore the measurement and analysis of the patient experience. In your reading and Discussion, you will examine the use of scorecards and dashboards for patient satisfaction. You will also consider the strengths and weaknesses of using these measurement devices and evaluate their impact on patient care and satisfaction.

Reference:

Nash, D. B., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

· Analyze healthcare organization scorecards and dashboards for patient satisfaction

· Summarize patient satisfaction and experience measures for a healthcare organization

· Contrast patient satisfaction and experience measures for healthcare organizations

· Analyze how patient satisfaction and experience measures contribute to goal setting and improvement in healthcare organizations

· Evaluate impact of patient satisfaction and experience measures on organizational performance

MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

You are a DNP-prepared nurse working at a hospital focused on improving patient satisfaction. After receiving care at your hospital, patients are provided a scorecard to survey their patient experience. The patient surveys range in questions from wait time to effectiveness of care, and these surveys provide your hospital with a scorecard indicating how the hospital is performing against these metrics. Upon reviewing the scorecards, you are able to highlight areas of improvement and areas of success, however, you find the responses are often difficult to analyze, as there are a wide range of responses, and there are many variables.The process of constructing a balanced scorecard for the tracking of patient satisfaction can be controversial. For example, a hospital’s patient satisfaction scorecard provides a snapshot of gathered data for the hospital, but the data may be out of context, which makes it difficult to identify specific problems. It is evident that both scorecards and dashboards have a place in the healthcare setting; however, will all organizations and accrediting bodies agree on the aspects of implementation, data analysis, and levels of effectiveness?

For this Discussion, you will explore key indicators involved with the use of scorecards and dashboards for tracking organizational performance. Reflect on a particular healthcare organization or nursing practice with an established scorecard or dashboard measuring patient experience.

RESOURCES

LEARNING RESOURCES

Required Readings

· Nash, D. B., Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2019). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (4th ed.). Health Administration Press.

· Chapter 9, “The Patient Experience” (pp. 233–251)

· Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2020). 
HCAHPS: Patients’ perspectives of care survey
Links to an external site.
.

· Walden University, LLC. (2021). 
DNP Project Faculty advisor and site identification—matching request form
Links to an external site.
.

· Document: 
Organization Meeting Summary (Word document)

TO PREPARE:

· Review the Learning Resources for this week, and reflect on how a healthcare organization or nursing practice setting uses scorecards and dashboards.

· Select any healthcare organization or nursing practice setting that has an established scorecard or dashboard measuring patient experience and improvement goals.

· Be sure to obtain an example of the scorecard or dashboard from the healthcare organization or nursing practice setting (you selected) for this Discussion.

· Reflect on how these measurement systems and measurement methods may impact organizational goal setting in the areas of overall performance and financial stability.

· Explore the key indicators involved with scorecards and dashboards, as well as the external quality standards to which they are compared.

· Reflect on what the metrics used in the balanced scorecards and dashboards might mean to your specific organization and/or nursing practice. Has your organization established goals for these or similar metrics and are they currently being met? Why, or why not?

Post a brief description of the healthcare organization or nursing practice setting you selected. Summarize the measures on the scorecard or dashboard in which patient experience of care is measured, tracked, and used to set improvement goals. Be specific. Explain whether goals at your organization are established, for these metrics you reviewed, and whether or not they are currently being met. Then, describe the potential impacts of meeting or not meeting these metrics for your healthcare organization, and explain why. Be specific and provide examples.