15 Examples of Continuous Quality Improvement in Healthcare

If you work in the healthcare industry, you are aware that quality improvement takes time. To provide patients with the safest, most efficient care possible, medical practitioners must put out constant effort and consideration. By examining 15 instances of continuous quality improvement in the healthcare industry, we'll provide you an outline of how to enhance healthcare in your institution in this post. Everything from enhancing patient flow to evaluating pain management results to educating staff on new techniques and technologies will be covered. If there are any other ways that healthcare could be improved through continuous quality improvement, please let us know in the comments area!

1) Defining Continuous Quality Improvement

The quality improvement process is a methodical technique to locating and getting rid of waste in the healthcare system, such long wait times. Both the patient and the personnel in charge of their care are involved in this process. These individuals collaborate to enhance patient care by concentrating on systemic changes that help cut down on waste and variability. Through the use of strategies for continuous quality improvement, there are numerous examples of service improvement in nursing.

2) The Plan-Do-Study-Act Method

The Plan-Do-Study-Act Method is a continuous quality improvement process that ensures that processes are followed correctly. This method also ensures that the risks of potential errors are minimized. Each step in this process can be applied to a healthcare organization, and examples of service improvement in nursing are outlined below. One example of healthcare improvement in nursing would be establishing standards for medication administration. Standards are established by examining hospital data on adverse events related to medication administration and best practices from other healthcare facilities. Nurses must adhere to these standards in order to reduce mistakes.

3) Using Data to Drive Continuous Quality Improvement

Data is critical to process improvement in healthcare because it can be used to inform decisions that lead to better patient outcomes. Data helps organizations, providers, and clinicians take a more objective approach. New insights help healthcare organizations stay nimble and able to adapt when they face a crisis or change is inevitable. Â Healthcare improvement could involve something as simple as a charting error at the point of care or something more complex like reducing adverse events across an entire region of hospitals.

4) Improving Medication Safety

Medical problems and patient mortality are frequently brought on by medication errors. A medication error occurs in around 1 out of every 20 hospitalized patients in the US. Medication mistakes are thought to cause between 7,000 and 14,000 fatalities annually, thus the repercussions can be severe. Hospitals have created procedures for enhancing pharmaceutical safety in response to this threat to public health. For instance, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has suggested establishing a procedure known as Discharge Planning with Iatrogenic Outcome Prevention in order to lower readmission rates caused by adverse drug events or conditions medication-related to such events (DPIP). It includes a system that captures data on discharge medications taken by patients after they leave the hospital, which allows providers to evaluate if there were any mistakes made in medications or dosage during their hospitalization.

5) Reducing Patient Falls

To prevent patient falls, the National Patient Safety Foundation created the following 7-step process:

1) Inform personnel about the risks associated with falls and safety precautions to lessen them.

 (2) Keep track of the patient's mobility and balance.

 (3) Get rid of any furniture, cords, chair rails, and throw rugs that could lead to a fall.

 (4) Call for assistance when using the restroom or taking a shower rather than attempting to do it on your own to notify personnel.

(5) Regularly check the equipment and mattresses for dangers. 

(6) Ensure that each person utilizing a wheelchair is fitted properly.

 (7) If a staff member has been a part of a fall-related occurrence, let them know.

6) Preventing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSI, are a type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) that can be life-threatening and costly. The Joint Commission has been working with hospitals for over 10 years to reduce the number of these infections with the goal being zero HAIs. Some hospitals have seen success using the Six Sigma quality improvement process to identify service improvement opportunities. Below are a few examples from the Joint Commission's 2008 Reducing Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections National Patient Safety Goals List:

1. Implementing local guidelines about prevention measures for surgical prophylaxis.

2. Implementing checklist systems that include antimicrobial administration as well as appropriate identification of catheters inserted in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.

3. Educating personnel on appropriate indications for administering antibiotics before inserting a central venous catheter into patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

7) Reducing Pressure Ulcers

One example is the use of a patient-triggered PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) button that allows patients to administer their own pain medication. This reduces the number of time nurses spend administering medication and can also help reduce pressure ulcers. There are many other examples, including for example - electronic medical records, improved hand hygiene practices, and more focus on prevention over treatment - these are all examples of quality improvement process in healthcare which has been achieved by people within nursing who work on continuous quality improvement process in healthcare.

8) Reducing Surgical Site Infections

One example of a quality improvement process in healthcare is reducing surgical site infections. The CDC estimates that surgical site infections occur at a rate of about 10%. They are often caused by bacteria on the patient's skin or from devices used during the surgery. This means that for every 100 surgeries performed, ten patients will have an infection.

The first step is to identify which patients are most likely to develop an infection and at what time points they are at highest risk - preoperatively, postoperatively, or both. An intervention might include more careful cleaning before the surgery, decreasing the use of urinary catheters after surgery, antibiotic eye drops after cataract surgery to reduce lens contamination, and prophylactic antibiotics before incisions around the mouth. Another example of service improvement in nursing is implementing a zero-tolerance policy for surgical site infections. For example: if one person has an infection then everyone has to undergo further testing with cultures and then go on preventive antibiotics.

9) Implementing Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records have been proven to improve the quality of patient care and are a major step forward in healthcare quality improvement. For example, electronic health records help with the standardization of care, which reduces errors and increases efficiency. They also make it easier for providers to share patient information with other providers, which is beneficial to patients who need treatment from multiple doctors. Overall, electronic health records are an essential part of the quality improvement process in healthcare.

10) Improving Transitions of Care

In healthcare, a quality improvement process is an ongoing process that helps the organization to continuously improve. One way organizations work to improve their service and provide better care for patients is through improving transitions of care. A transition may be as simple as transferring a patient from one unit to another, or it could be more complex such as transitioning a patient from the hospital back into the home. The goal of a successful transition is to make sure that the necessary support structures are in place so the patient can continue with his/her recovery without any hiccups. The right people should be involved at every step along the way, starting before the transfer begins.

11) Implementing Patient-Centered Medical Homes

Patient-Centered Medical Homes are a method for raising the standard of care in the medical field. For their patients, they provide several examples of nursing service improvement. An organization that offers coordinated care to its enrolled populations with an emphasis on patient needs and preferences, as well as health promotion and illness prevention, is known as a patient-centered medical home. Medical records are accessible to patients, giving them insight into their conditions and how they are affecting them.

12) Implementing Accountable Care Organizations

Take the Affordable Care Act as an example (ACA). The ACA was developed to prevent people from being rejected coverage due to a preexisting medical condition and to guarantee that all Americans have access to high-quality, fairly priced healthcare. The ACA established Accountable Care Organizations to do this (ACO). ACOs are teams of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals who collaborate to offer patients synchronized care. As more healthcare providers coordinate care rather than duplicate it, ACOs may help to enhance healthcare in our communities. Patient outcomes should improve with improved communication across medical staff, hospital systems, and other service providers.

13) Pursuing Value-Based Purchasing

 

A value-based purchasing program offers a way to reward care organizations for improved quality and efficiency rather than just the volume and cost of services. Value-based purchasing is just one example of a continuous quality improvement process in healthcare.

Services can be improved by implementing evidence-based practices, reducing hospital stays, or providing better coordination among providers and across the continuum of care. Examples of service improvement in nursing include:

1) Improving patient outcomes through early identification and management of high risk patients. 2) Providing necessary resources to provide excellent care. 3) Implementing evidence-based practices. 4) Employing patient safety programs such as National Patient Safety Goals, Joint Commission accreditation requirements, and participation in Safe Care Alerts.

14) Supporting Patient and Family Engagement

Patient and family engagement is an important aspect of any quality improvement process. Patients and families can help identify problems, provide feedback on services, and serve as a support system for patients. In order to develop a strong patient-centered culture, healthcare professionals must be able to engage with their patients and their families throughout the care continuum. The following are 15 examples that show how continuous quality improvement has been used to improve patient care and nurse satisfaction.

15) Promoting Workforce Development

 

Diversifying the healthcare workforce is an example of continuous quality improvement in healthcare. This includes utilizing technology to expand access to care and providing culturally competent care. Examples of service improvement in nursing include reducing hospital readmissions, improving patient safety, and eliminating unnecessary variations in clinical practice. A new study found that when people were given health information by their doctor, they are more likely to follow through with it.

Continuous healthcare improvement can also be achieved by ensuring everyone has a basic level of preventive services and screening tests so as to avoid any risk factors that may lead to more serious problems down the road.