Quality improvement in healthcare through interdisciplinary team collaboration

Quality improvement within a healthcare firm is very important. Health care laws are continually changing and required a diverse and varied array of skillsets. One of which is a high standard for patient care. Antiquated systems, a higher insured population, and new regulations all impede the quality improvement process. Therefore, it is necessary to form a dedicated team of professionals who focus solely on the quality improvement issue. The selection of this subcommittee is vital in regards to the actual success of such a program. As a result, the process of identifying and onboarding subcommittee team members can become a complicated process.

Identify some of the risks associated with working with interdisciplinary teams and how you plan to address them.

Interdisciplinary teams can cause risks, particularly as it relates to quality of care. The most obvious is a lack of emotional intelligence and cultural awareness. The insured population is now very diverse due primarily to legislation aimed at increasing the insured population. As a result, individuals who were not previously insured are suddenly demanding service. These newly insured individuals may require a different skillset than those who were previously insured. When working with interdisciplinary teams it is important to understand these differences. If not, the customer may not feel satisfied with the service or care rendered. In addition, the effectiveness of care can be an issue when working with interdisciplinary teams. For instance, standards between individual employees may not be properly communicated. As a result, an individual may elect to take a quicker yet lower standard route towards treatment. Group think can also creek into teams. Group think may persuade otherwise sound judgment as it relates to treatment. an outspoken and vocal leader for example may lead a team towards a decision that harms the overall quality of care rather than increase it. This ultimately may hinder patient safety, treatment proficiency, and overall care quality.

Decide what you want the team to review before the meeting. Use the IDOT process.

Identify

The issued pertain mainly to effectiveness of care, complaints from family and staff. These complaints often arise from a litany of issues. Many include antiquate systems and processes, ever-changing systems and processes, and a lack of management support from the top.

Design

The team must review the plan to achieve certain quality of care standards. This plan should be formulated prior to the actual committee being selected. In regards to timing, the strategies for overcoming issues should be ever present. In the current landscape, regulatory concerns are constant. As a result, the committee and its plan must reflect the changing nature of regulations. The objectives for the plan are first to create a standard measure of quality that can be used throughout the firm irrespective of department. Second, the plan must have a mechanism to help all stakeholders and participants accountable for actionable goals. Third, the plan must have a system in place that allows for continual process improvement within the firm. Dialogue and suggestions should be encouraged from all stakeholders in the group.

Observe

I would like the team to review the overall effectiveness of the plan. The team should have a core skill and competence that allows them to effectively evaluate healthcare proposals. The team must therefore provide recommendations on how effective they believe the plan will be. This will include a SWOT analysis describing the overall strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. Finally, the team must create a comprehensive plan to make improvements to the overall proposal. This step is critical as it ensures that all possibilities were taken into account when making a determination.

Director of Patient Care Services

Explains opportunities in the overall quality of care. The director will provide recommendations on systems and processes to improve care. This will include operations and how to improve logistical times in the firm. The operations manager will provide a more detailed "front lines" assessment of problems and potential solutions.

Director of Finance

Discuss the costs of implementation of proposed plans. An overview of the financial position of the firm will also be included. Focus will be placed on the liquidity of the firm and its ability to implement proposed plans quickly and efficiently.

Director of Admissions

The direct will provide an overview of patient records and attendance. The director will also review quality scores and provide recommendations for improvement

Director of Operations

The director will provide areas which can be cut without sacrificing service quality. The director will also provide his assessment of the how feasible all the solutions are to this point.

I will assess if the meeting is successful if concrete improvement plans were developed. These plans must be able to be implemented relatively quickly and in an efficient manner.

Facility Organizational Chart

References:

1. Juran, Joseph M. and Joseph A. De Feo, "Juran's Quality Handbook," 2010, ISBN 978-0-07-162973-7

2. Rose, Kenneth H. (July 2005). Project Quality Management: Why, What and How. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: J. Ross Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 1-932159-48-7.

3. Paul H. Selden (December 1998). "Sales Process Engineering: An Emerging Quality Application." Quality Progress: 59-63.

4. Thareja P (2008), "Total Quality Organization Thru' People, Each one is Capable," FOUNDRY, Vol. XX, No. 4, Aug 2008

5. Nederpelt, Peter van (2012). Object-oriented Quality and Risk Management (OQRM). A practical and generic method to manage quality and risk. MicroData.ISBN 978-1-291-037-35-7.