ARIEL FLUG, SPT

Importance of Quality of Care in the Health Professions

Objectives

Determine the importance of quality of careDiscuss how teamwork can be used to

improve careIdentify how quality of care can be enhanced

in all health profession fields

What is Quality of Care?

Providing a patient with a true evaluation Services that are given in a timely fashionDelivering proper communication and

compassionCare that is culturally sensitiveDecisions based off of proper knowledge and

experience

Quality of Care in the United States

National trends of potentially avoidable hospitalizations of adults 2000- 2008

Why is This Important?

Delivering good care and educating patients on their health can postpone or prevent illness or disease

Better quality of care has a positive correlation with quality of life (National Healthcare Quality Report, 2011)

Early detection of health issues could lead to less hospitalizations

-Less hospitalizations=less cost

Is Quality of Care Measurable?

Reduction of pain -consider factors such as location and onset

Length of injury/disease -consider factors such as age and type of impairment

More complex to measure quality of care because it is not objective!

Specificity of Care

Type of care is dependent on the individual -age -sex -history -personality -quality of life -impairment -patient goals

Miscommunication

“if medical errors appeared on the National Center for Health Statistic’s list of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, they would rank number 5—ahead of accidents, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease” (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, JCHAO)

Lack of communication leads to: -medical errors -incorrect dosing schedules -delays in treatment -wrong surgeries -severe injury -unexpected death

Barriers to Effective Communication

Cultural differences -characteristics such as assertiveness and being opinionated

vary from culture to culture

Gender differences -men and women express communication differently

Hierarchy -power and control can often override a health professionals

ability to put the patients needs first

Collaboration

All healthcare professionals must work together to reach a goal of improved quality of care

Standards must be placed on screenings, immunizations, diagnostic tests and other measures of preventative care

Communication between a patients primary care physician, nurses, doctors etc. are essential

Teamwork is The Answer!

Share ResponsibilitiesWork towards a common goalAppreciate each others skillsWork together when making decisions

Build a Foundation

In order to improve quality of care in our patients, health professionals must make the first step

Hold professional development in service meetings -discuss the dynamic of the team of healthcare providers

Stress the importance and correlation between teamwork and quality care during orientation

Set standards on behavior policies in the working environment

Commitment

Health professionals must pledge to work as a team to reach their patients functional goals

Programs and other professional sources must be available to address the distribution of quality of care

Moving Forward

Quality of care is improving in the United StatesVaries significantly across the countryThere is still a large gap between the care that is currently given and the potential care that can be given

References

1. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Joint Commission guide to improving staff communication. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources; 2005.

2. O’Daniel M, Rosenstein AH. Professional Communication and Team Collaboration. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 33. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2637/

Rockville, M.D. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Publication No. 12-0005. By Carolyn Clancy and William Munier. Ahrq, Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr11/nhqr11.pdf>.

Rockville, M.D. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Publication No. 12-0005. Ahrq, Sept. 2005. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/guidetoq/guidetoq.pdf>.