Discussion reply 2

NURS-6231: Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes

Using Improvement Science Models to Promote Quality and Safety

Hospitals and health care facilities face a variety of quality concerns that must be closely monitored and quickly resolved in order to protect the patient population as well as the reputation of the organization. The purpose of this discussion is to select and analyze two improvement models that could be used to foster a culture of quality and safety, and to explain how one of these models could be used to address a quality improvement issue within my organization.

Improvement Models

There is an array of improvement models that can be used in health care organizations in order to support in creating an environment of patient safety and quality. The two improvement models that will be discussed are the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Cycle and the Six-Sigma Model. The PDSA Cycle was created by Edward Denning and is a change model that can be utilized to make positive change through setting necessary objectives, implementing these objectives, ensuring that improvements are successfully enforced, and ensuring that the desired results are achieved (Donnelly and Kirk, 2015).

The Six-Sigma Model is an improvement model that was created by the Motorola Corporation as an attempt to improve manufacturing quality and performance (Polk, 2011). The process consists five steps that include defining the process that is in need of improvement, measuring the current performance of the process, analyzing possible weaknesses in the current process while identifying best practice methods, designing the improvements that are needed to overcome past weaknesses, and verifying that the implemented corrective actions will be successful in achieving the desired process improvement (Polk, 2011).

Addressing Quality Improvement Issues

The quality improvement issue in my organization is medication and breastmilk administration errors in which I would use the PDSA cycle to address improvement strategies. I would start by creating objectives that could be used to reduce and eventually eliminate these errors through researching best practices and identifying the sources of the weakness. These objectives would be implemented through employee education of evidenced based research. I would ensure that these improvements are successfully enforced with close monitoring through audits and safety reports. Finally, I would ensure that the desired results were achieved through conducting employee evaluation of the implemented practices, and the continuation of audits and safety reports. According to Tzelepis, Sanson-Fisher, Zucca, and Fradgley (2015), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) utilizes six aims as the foundation for using patient-reported measures as a source for quality and patient safety improvements. Utilizing the PDSA improvement model in addressing medication and breastmilk administration errors would assist in achieving all six of the IOM’s aims for improving quality and safety as these implementations would prove to be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

References

Donnelly, P. and Kirk, P. (2015). Use the PDSA model for effective change management. Education for Primary Care. 26(4). Pp. 279–281. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/14739879.2015.11494356

Polk, J. D. (2011). Lean Six Sigma, innovation, and the change acceleration process can work together. Physician Executive. 37(1). Pp. 38–42. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=57457680&site=eds-live&scope=site

Tzelepis F, Sanson-Fisher, R.W., Zucca, A.C., and Fradgley, E.A. (2015). Measuring the quality of patient-centered care: why patient-reported measures are critical to reliable assessment. Patient Preference and Adherence. 2015(9). Pp. 831-835. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.59f6dafe1602454b98b6fca5bda2a0d2&site=eds-live&scope=site