HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

Grand Canyon University HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Grand Canyon University HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

The introduction for the Grand Canyon University HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

After the introduction, move into the main part of the HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Include the following:

Provide an overview of the problem and the setting in which the problem or issue occurs.
Explain why a quality improvement initiative is needed in this area and the expected outcome.
Discuss how the results of previous research demonstrate support for the quality improvement initiative and its projected outcomes. Include a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years, not included in the Class Resources or textbook, that establish evidence in support of the quality improvement proposed.
Discuss steps necessary to implement the quality improvement initiative. Provide evidence and rationale to support your answer.
Explain how the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated to determine whether there was improvement.
Support your explanation by identifying the variables, hypothesis test, and statistical test that you would need to prove that the quality improvement initiative succeeded.

Sample Answer for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

Although my specialty is cardiac nursing, I often care for patients who are either being admitted for a stroke, or they have a past medical history of a stroke. As you mentioned, time is tissue and every minute counts in these scenarios. Once brain tissue has been without oxygen for too long, there is no reversing that. My facility is stroke certified and we have an average door to CT table time of 10 minutes with our fastest time being 4 minutes. This is something we pride ourselves on since time is so important. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four stroke survivors have another stroke within five years (2022). This is why stroke rehabilitation is also of the utmost importance to begin as soon as possible, since some of the lasting effects can be minimized with the proper therapy.

Overview of the Problem and its Prevalence in the Healthcare Organization

Healthcare is one of the vital sectors in society and the entire country. For this reason, states and nations should continually strive toward enhancing healthcare quality through different quality improvement programs. In most cases, the quality of healthcare is affected by legal and regulatory guidelines, educational level and experience of the medical practitioners, finances, employees’ welfare, organizational management, the ratio of medical practitioners to population size, and technological advancements put in place among others. These factors collectively affect the nation’s health, creating a base for adverse vices in the country such as increased poverty level, poor living conditions due to low productivity, poor nutrition, and high level of mortality, among others. Therefore, the state and other concerned federal organizations are responsible for ensuring the quality of health care is not compromised to sustain a healthy nation. Subsequently, every healthcare organization is responsible for ensuring they put in place reforms and practices to improve the quality of healthcare based on evidence-based practices.

Concerning my organization, healthcare informatics was identified as an opportunity and essential practice to help us improve the quality of healthcare service delivery. Healthcare informatics focuses on how best organizations can use healthcare-related information to enhance the quality of healthcare services (Lai et al., 2017). Healthcare informatics falls under four aspects: medical informatics, bioinformatics, consumer informatics, and public health informatics.

Initially, the organization faced a significant challenge in tracing and monitoring medical records regarding different health issues among the population, the spread of infection, demographical impacts of various syndromes, and patients’ bio information, among others. This information is crucial in a healthcare organization’s planning, management, and operation.

Healthcare informatics triggered concern after the organization recorded a high level of delayed healthcare services, poor management and resource allocation, and unanticipated overwhelming of the healthcare organization. These factors jointly contributed to poor quality of healthcare services which was evident with a high level of infections and reinfection, poor follow-up and home care services, and a high level of staff turnover due to compromised welfare and high staff-to-patient ratio (Otokiti, 2019). Evidenced-based practice showed that organizations that embraced modern technology in healthcare informatics had an improved level of quality healthcare regarding efficiency, utilization of financial and non-financial resources, improved planning and management through evidence-based decision making, and effective control of disease outbreaks (Otokiti, 2019).

Need for Quality Improvement in Healthcare Informatics and the expected Outcomes

Healthcare informatics plays an important role in ensuring that healthcare data is utilized and applied in various endeavors in healthcare, such as predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and informed decision-making along the healthcare treatment cycle. The measure of healthcare investment returns is currently deficient, following the overall population health, efficiency in healthcare operations, and quality of the services. Although the organization has been collecting extensive data on healthcare services and patients’ treatment, the data cannot necessarily aid in providing healthcare services (McCradden et al. 2020). Therefore, the organization needs to implement healthcare informatics to facilitate the utilization of these data in curbing the existing challenges in healthcare, such as the high operational cost of the healthcare organization, poor decision making, and the general quality of healthcare service.

How the Result of Previous Research Demonstrate Support for the Improvement Initiative and its Projected Outcomes

Improvement of healthcare service quality and delivery remains the primary goal of all healthcare organizations. The population’s constantly changing needs drive this need following the outbreak of new diseases, increasing number of people seeking healthcare services, enhancing better management and decision making, and maintaining competitiveness. Through previous research, it has been evident that data informatics is essential in improving the application of big data in managing and improving healthcare services. According to Booth, (2017), the digital revolution in healthcare informatics has the potential to advance healthcare quality and lead healthcare services and operations to optimal levels. First, health informatics helps in improving patients’ outcomes. In the illustration, the electronic healthcare data assists medical practitioners in delivering quality care for the population. On that note, it helps improve the accuracy of diagnosis while reducing the chances of medical errors.

According to McCradden et al. (2020), healthcare informatics has shown a positive trajectory toward cost saving in healthcare operations. Through healthcare informatics, some labor-intensive tasks are eliminated. After minimizing medical errors in diagnosis and medication, a reduced cost is realized for the patient and the organization. On another note, healthcare informatics has enhanced patent engagement and participation in particular medical concerns, such as the patient with common health concerns, where it becomes easy to monitor medication and patients regularly.

Through health informatics, the patients can track their healthcare process and medication which helps them to gain updated information regarding the progress of the health concern and get valuable suggestions on their health from the healthcare providers (Veinot, Ancker & Bakken, 2019).

Steps Necessary to Implement the Quality Improvement Initiative

In the implementation of the quality improvement initiative, there are several steps involved, which are identification of the problem or concern, searching for the best available solution which is supposed to be evidence-based, critical analysis of the evidence-based solution for validity, integration, and appraisal of the solution with the healthcare practitioners and patients, and evaluation of the validity of the solution (Otokiti, 2019). First, the organization realized some challenges in management, increasing operational costs, and quality of healthcare. We identified a healthcare informatics quality improvement initiative based on an evidence-based search for a potential solution. According to Otokiti (2019), health care informatics plays a significant role in implementing big data collected and recorded in the organization. Through the implementation of the data, the organization can make informed decisions, enhance management, control healthcare costs, and eventually improve the quality of healthcare services, hence the initiative’s validity. The next step is to train the healthcare practitioners on the essential areas that enable them to integrate the industry into routine operations properly. Lastly, the organization evaluates the impacts of the quality initiative and measures its viability in relation to the anticipated outcomes (Otokiti, 2019).

Evaluation of the Quality initiative to Realize Improvement

In evaluating the quality initiative, the organization is supposed to formulate a program to assess the impacts of the quality initiative. According to Hamilton et al. (2020), quality improvement initiative evaluation is done in two approaches: comparing the healthcare outcomes at the management and operational levels and the impacts on patients’ care and feedback. In the first approach, the organization compares the functional results before implementing the quality improvement practice and the operational outcomes after implementing the initiative and observes the differences. In the second approach, the organization monitors the impacts of the quality initiatives on the patients’ health and collects feedback from them. Through these approaches, the organization can determine the viability of the quality improvement initiative.

Variables, Hypothesis tests, and Statistical tests that would prove the success of the Quality Improvement Initiative

Determining the quality improvement initiative uses hypothesized potential solutions that can further be analyzed and researched from previous implementations. The best alternative can be selected and implemented based on evidence of successful implementation and realized merits. The organization can hypothesize that healthcare informatics directly impacts the organizational effectiveness and efficiency in healthcare delivery and the general quality of healthcare services. Healthcare quality, organizational effectiveness, and efficiency can be used as dependent variables, while healthcare informatics can be taken as the independent variable. Additionally, the organization can compare the previous records in its operations and the statistical records and feedback collected from the patients served within the first two months. However, a sample t-test can be used to determine any difference as a result of the proposed quality improvement. Following this test, the records would show Improvement in the management and operation of the organization and patients’ satisfaction with the quality of healthcare services.

Conclusion

In conclusion, healthcare is a necessity for every individual within a population. Poor healthcare results in adverse effects in a country regarding productivity, high mortality rate, poor lifestyles and nutrition, and increased healthcare cost resulting from many people seeking medical attention. Based on evidence-based research, we applied healthcare informatics to quality improvement initiatives to improve the organization’s healthcare quality and management of operations. Following an evaluation of the initiative’s impacts, it is evident that healthcare informatics, when implemented in healthcare organizations, helps improve the quality of healthcare services and the management of all operations in the organization. Therefore, healthcare organizations should ensure they incorporate healthcare informatics in their operations as it positively impacts organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and healthcare service quality.

References

Booth, R. G. (2017). Informatics and Nursing in a Post-Nursing Informatics World: Future Directions for Nurses in an Automated, Artificially Intelligent, Social-Networked Healthcare Environment. Nursing Leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 28(4), 61-69.

Hamilton, S., Jennings, A., & Forster, A. (2020). Development and evaluation of a quality improvement framework for healthcare. International Journal for Quality In Health Care, 32(7), 456-463. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzaa075

Lai, A. M., Hsueh, P. Y., Choi, Y. K., & Austin, R. R. (2017). Present and future trends in consumer health informatics and patient-generated health data. Yearbook of medical informatics, 26(01), 152-159.

McCradden, M. D., Joshi, S., Anderson, J. A., Mazwi, M., Goldenberg, A., & Zlotnik Shaul, R. (2020). Patient safety and quality improvement: Ethical principles for a regulatory approach to bias in healthcare machine learning. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(12), 2024-2027.

Otokiti, A. (2019). Using informatics to improve healthcare quality. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 32(2), 425-430. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa-03-2018-0062

Veinot, T. C., Ancker, J. S., & Bakken, S. (2019). Health informatics and health equity: improving our reach and impact. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 689-695.

Sample Answer 2 for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

One quality improvement opportunity that our organization has identified is in the area of patient data management. In particular, the management have identified ways to improve how employees collect, store, and retrieve patient data. Acme Healthcare System currently contracts with a third-party vendor for the electronic health records (EHR) systems. One of the recommendations from our quality improvement team was to invest in a new EHR system that would better suit the needs of the organization. Another recommendation was to develop a comprehensive patient data governance policy. This policy would set forth how patient data should be collected, stored, and accessed by employees across the organization. The purpose of this assignment is to identify a quality improvement opportunity in my healthcare organization describe the problem or issue and propose a quality improvement initiative based on evidence-based practice.

Overview Of the Problem and The Setting in Which the Problem or Issue Occurs

The problem of patient data management in my healthcare organization is that we have a lot of data, and we not sure what to do with it. The healthcare organization have data from patients’ electronic health records (EHRs), from the billing system, from the laboratory information system, and from other sources. The organization need to find a way to use this data to improve the quality of care given to patients. One idea is to use big-data analytics tools to analyze the data and find patterns that can help us improve approaches for caring for patients. Another idea is to use the data to identify high-risk patients and develop interventions specifically for them. The management is still trying to figure out the best way to use EHR system to enhance patient’s data management.

The problem of patient data management occurs in healthcare settings where accurate and up-to-date patient information is essential for providing quality care. This may include hospitals, clinics, and private practices. The problem arises when there is a lack of communication and coordination between different medical staff members who are responsible for managing different aspects of a patient’s care. This can lead to duplication of records, missed appointments, and even incorrect diagnoses. To solve this problem, healthcare organizations need to put systems in place that allow for better communication and collaboration between all medical staff members involved in a patient’s care.

Why A Quality Improvement Initiative is Needed in This Area and The Expected Outcome

A quality improvement initiative is needed for patient data management in order to enhance the quality of patient outcomes and to reduce the cost of healthcare. Healthcare providers are collecting more data than ever before on patients, but much of this data is not being used effectively to improve patient care. By improving the way that data is collected, tracked, and analyzed, healthcare providers can make better decisions about how to treat patients and improve their quality of life. In addition, reducing the cost of healthcare will be critical in order to make it affordable for everyone. By improving patient data management, we can reduce waste and ensure that our resources are being used most effectively.

A quality improvement initiative is also needed for patient data management to reduce patient’s data loss. A recent study found that nearly one-third of patients reported they had experienced a loss of health information, largely due to human error. Incidents of lost or corrupted patient data can have significant consequences for both individuals and the healthcare system as a whole. For example, patients may experience delays in receiving care or incorrect treatment as a result of missing medical records. In addition, organizations may face financial penalties and reputational damage when data breaches occur. A quality improvement initiative can help to prevent such incidents by improving the accuracy and consistency of patient data handling processes across all areas of the healthcare system.

How The Results of Previous Research Demonstrate Support for The Quality Improvement Initiative and Its Projected Outcomes

In order to quality assure patient data, health information technicians use a variety of methods which have been found through research to improve the quality of data. The systematic application of these methods is what is referred to as a Quality Improvement Initiative or QI initiative. A recent study (conducted in Canada) set out to determine the effectiveness of a QI initiative on patient data management (Coles et al., 2020). The study found that the introduction of a QI initiative led to an increase in the accuracy and completeness of patient data. Furthermore, it was also found that there was an improvement in other key performance indicators such as turnaround time, staff satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. These findings demonstrate that a QI initiative can lead to significant improvements in data quality.

The results of previous research provide strong support to the Quality Improvement Initiative and its projected outcomes in patient data management. A study by Silver et al. (2017) found that a multifaceted quality improvement intervention was effective in reducing preventable harm events, including readmissions, mortality, lengths of stay, and costs. Moreover, the study also found that the overall quality of care improved following the intervention. This indicates that hospitals which undergo a quality improvement initiative can expect to see tangible improvements in patient safety and outcomes. Such findings underscore the importance of investing in such initiatives and point to the significant potential benefits they offer healthcare organizations.

A recent study published in the journal “Health Affairs” found that the Quality Improvement Initiative (QII) – which is a national effort to improve the quality and safety of healthcare – is projected to result in significant reductions in adverse events, including deaths, hospital readmissions, and costs (Main et al., 2018). The study used computer simulations to estimate the impact of QII on patient data management. The results showed that by 2020, QII could prevent: – Nearly 2 million adverse events, including more than 190,000 deaths, – More than 9 million hospital readmissions, and – More than $150 billion in costs (Main et al., 2018). These outcomes would be achieved through improvements in care coordination and patient engagement.

Steps Necessary to Implement the Quality Improvement Initiative

There are a few key steps necessary for the implementation of an EHR system for the effective management of patient data. First, it is important to consult with experts in the field to get a sense of what system would best fit the needs of your organization. Second, once a system has been selected, it is critical to have a dedicated team to manage its implementation and ensure that all staff are properly trained on how to use it. Third, ongoing communication and feedback from all stakeholders – including patients – is essential to monitor the effectiveness of the EHR system and make necessary adjustments. Finally, it is also important to have a robust back-up plan in place in case of technical difficulties or other issues that may arise. By following these

Discuss steps necessary to implement the quality improvement initiative.

How The Quality Improvement Initiative Will Be Evaluated to Determine Whether There Was Improvement

When evaluating a quality improvement initiative on the implementation of an EHR system, it is important to collect data around patient management and quality. This can help determine whether there has been an improvement since the EHR system was put in place. The gathered data should be compared against benchmarks or standards to make sure that improvement has actually occurred. Additionally, it is important to get feedback from clinicians who are using the EHR system to see how well it is working for them in their daily workflows. By collecting all of this data and information, the management can create a well-rounded picture of how successful the quality improvement initiative has been.

There are many factors to consider when evaluating the success of an EHR system, but one of the most important is whether or not it leads to improvements in patient data management and quality. When implemented properly, an EHR system can help streamline clinical workflows and make it easier for staff to access and enter accurate patient data. This can ultimately improve patient care by reducing errors and providing more timely and relevant information to clinicians. Additionally, better data management can help support population health initiatives by providing analysts with cleaner and more complete datasets. That said, it is important to keep in mind that improvement in patient data management is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to assessing EHR success.

The variables to be tested to determine effectiveness of the EHR system include clinical workflows, safety of patient data management, and reduction in errors in the patient data management. The hypothesis tests include: The application of EHR system leads to quality patient outcomes, EHR system leads to the reduction in erroneous patient’s data and leads to effective patient outcomes. The statistical tests needed to prove that the quality improvement initiative has succeeded include student t-test, ANOVA, and Z-test.

Conclusion

Open data initiatives are vital in improving patient data management quality because they allow for interoperability between systems. When stakeholder resource development organizations (healthcare facilities, employer groups, and health plans) standardize on a specific platform or application such as an EHR system, it becomes difficult to manage care coordination. Different forms of electronic patient data platforms used by these organizations compound this problem. One way to improve patient care coordination is to use a system that can connect various types of electronic patient records. Another solution is for developers of EHR software solutions to provide the capability for their systems to exchange information with each other through application programming interfaces or “APIs.”

References

Coles, E., Anderson, J., Maxwell, M., Harris, F. M., Gray, N. M., Milner, G., & MacGillivray, S. (2020). The influence of contextual factors on healthcare quality improvement initiatives: a realist review. Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 1-22. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13643-020-01344-3

Main, E. K., Markow, C., & Gould, J. (2018). Addressing maternal mortality and morbidity in California through public-private partnerships. Health Affairs, 37(9), 1484-1493.
https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0463

Silver, S. A., Bell, C. M., Chertow, G. M., Shah, P. S., Shojania, K., Wald, R., & Harel, Z. (2017). Effectiveness of quality improvement strategies for the management of CKD: a meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 12(10), 1601-1614. https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.02490317

Sample Answer 3 for HLT 362 Quality Improvement Proposal SOLUTION

The need for medical and healthcare facilities like Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center, to improve the quality of services implores them to discover initiatives and reforms focused on facilitating the realization of these goals and objectives. According to Finn et al. (2018), quality improvement is a critical process that enables providers to enhance their services to patients and attain better satisfaction levels. Quality improvement initiatives allow healthcare entities to reduce cost of care, improve patient outcomes, enhance the performance and the effectiveness of their services. Quality improvement also enhances patient and provider safety and ensures that healthcare settings and systems meet regulatory requirements (Johnson & Sollecito, 2020). Using the “The Road to Evidence-based practice” process model, this essay identifies a quality improvement opportunity at Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center and proposes an initiative to address the challenge.

Overview of the Issue and Setting

The need for patient safety measures is a critical part of reducing medical errors and ensuring that patients and their families using the medical center are not impacted negative, especially through hospital acquired infections like contracting the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Finn et al., 2018). At Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser South open facilities that were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to enhance patient safety measures to reduce the spread of the condition. Safety protocols like mandatory hygiene measures that include wearing of face covers, washing of hands, and use of sanitizers are essential measures to ensure the safety of patients, their families, and providers using the facilities.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (2020) asserts that the spread of COVID-19 and its related fatalities place health and nursing practitioners at increased risk of contracting the disease despite the availability of vaccines, especially with new variants like the Delta variant, that prove more lethal and fast spreading. The implication is that consideration of the humanness of care in the wider context of patient safety raises awareness of how human limitation impact individual clinicians and care teams and lower safety levels and quality of care. These weaknesses also increase the risk for both patients with COVID-19 and the staff caring for them. As such, the facilities must develop strict protocols to continue protecting its employees, patients and their families, and other stakeholders. The risk of exposure to infections reduces performance and contributes to failures like adverse events and misdiagnoses that lead to poor patient outcomes.

Reason for Quality Improvement Initiative and Expected Outcomes

Patient safety is a critical quality measure in any healthcare setting or organization as it indicates quality and ensures that individuals are safe while getting treatment interventions. Quality improvement initiatives are essential in enhancing overall quality of care and ascertaining that patients are not harmed, especially at this pandemic time when many are contracting COVID-19 and dying from its associated complications. In their study, Galvao et al. (2018) assert that hospitals and providers should establish a patient safety culture by developing values and behaviors through a collective and institutional approach for better outcomes. Institutions with patient safety have the ability to offer safe care of better quality to their patients. A safety culture has different dimensions that include reduced incidences of surgical site infections, reduction in injuries and critical adverse events and risk-adjusted mortality. A patient safety culture is an essential part of reducing medical errors among patients in the facilities and ensuring that providers offer optimal care.

The quality improvement initiative will allow the facility to offer quality care and ensure that patients’ satisfaction levels are higher than the current ratings. Patient safety is a regulatory requirement based on both state and federal laws and policies. Patient safety is a component of high reliability organizations as these entities are considered effective by consistently minimizing adverse events despite conducting intrinsically complicated and hazardous tasks, processes, and medical procedures. High reliability organizations have a commitment to maintaining safety at all level, right from frontline providers to managers and executives (Chegini et al., 2020). Such a commitment establishes a “culture of safety” that entails critical features like a blame-free environment where individuals can report error or near misses with no fear of punishment, reprimand, and reprisal.

Previous Research Studies

Results from previous research show support for the quality improvement initiatives and the anticipated outcomes. In their study, Reis et al. (2018) carry out a systematic review using hospital survey features to understand a patient safety culture and its dimensions. Their findings show that hospital organizational cultures are critical in enhancing patient safety. The authors also emphasize the need for effective safety culture evaluation based on strategies designed to enhance hospital-wide interventions for better patient outcomes.

In its article, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) observes that a culture of safety is critical in overall care delivery and attaining the status of high reliability organization. Kaiser South medical Center is one of leading healthcare providers in Sacramento, California and ensuring that is a high reliability organization is essential to its ability to offer better care for patients. The AHRQ notes that a safety culture encourages collaboration across ranks and disciplines as individuals seek solutions to patient safety issues that emerge. Quality improvement initiative also ensures that there is organizational commitment of resources in addressing safety concerns.

In their study, Campione and Famalaro (2018) identify promising practices that can allow hospitals to improve patient safety. The authors note that patient safety culture has a positive impact on the effectiveness of quality improvement interventions. The article identifies common practices that lead to patient safety culture improvement. These include setting of goals and robust action planning for quality improvement, implementing evidence-based practice and well-known safety initiative and programs and rigorous survey administration approaches. The implication is that patient safety is an essential component of improving overall care delivery in healthcare settings like the Kaiser South Medical Center in Sacramento.

The implementation of a patient safety culture will allow the organization to mitigate potential infections acquired in the hospital, reduce exposure to COVID-19 by all stakeholders, and ensure that it offers increased patient satisfaction. This critical process will allow for the improvement of teamwork process among the professionals. In turn, this will enable the reduction in infection rates, lead to adherence to COVID-19 protocols and ensure that the organization becomes a high reliability entity in care provision.

Steps Necessary in Implementing the Quality Improvement Initiative

The implementation of this quality improvement initiative will entail following a determined process based on utilization of change models. These models include Lewin’s three step and plan-do-study-assess (PDSA). At the start of the implementation, change agents must create the urgency for change and ensure that they follow the three step process of Lewin’s approach that entail unfreezing, change implementation, and refreezing to ensure that the reforms are part of the organizational culture. The PDSA model would be instrumental in generating feedback from the users of the new approaches in the facility (Abd El-Shafy et al., 2019). With these models in mind, the initial step would be to communicate about the initiative and its significance to enhancing quality outcomes and reducing adverse events, including medical errors. Communication will ensure that stakeholders understand the need and urgency for change.

The next step will be training staff on the communication process and enhancement of a collaborative approach to the issue. Through the training, the quality improvement initiative will eliminate doubts among the providers and ensure that they attain a buy-in to support the changes. The organization would them move to implement the proposed interventions using Lewin’s model and evaluate if there is need for changes through the PDSA model. Implementation of the project may face resistance which the organization can mitigate through effective communication and ensuring that all people have equal opportunities to express their concerns.

Evaluation of the Quality Improvement Initiative

The evaluation process of the quality improvement initiative should be prudent for stakeholders to determine its overall success in enhancing patient safety and developing a safety culture within the setting. The evaluation process will be conducted through assessing success that will be attained by the using the new measures by healthcare providers or the medical staff in the facility (Campione & Famolaro, 2017). These individuals will identify possible weak areas that can compromise overall safety culture in the facility. There will be an evaluation of the potential impacts of communication and teamwork approaches.

The team will develop relevant hypotheses to demonstrate effectiveness of the changes and the need to improve quality care for the patients visiting the facility at this pandemic time. The team will offer monthly reviews and feedback based on the principles of the PDSA model. Corrective measures will ensue to ensure that the intervention leads to the development of a robust patient safety culture in the facility.

Conclusion

Quality improvement initiatives are essential approaches to ensuring that organizations better service provision and allow patients to experience better outcomes. In this case, the medical center needs to ensure that it develops a safety patient culture due to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of reducing exposure and susceptibility to the condition. The quality improvement initiative will lead to better patient outcomes and help the facility to attain the “high reliability organization” status.

References

Abd El-Shafy, I., Zapke, J., Sargeant, D., Prince, J. M., & Christopherson, N. A. (2019).

Decreased pediatric trauma length of stay and improved disposition with implementation of Lewin’s change model. Journal of Trauma Nursing| JTN, 26(2), 84-88.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (2019). Culture of Safety.

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/culture-safety

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (2020). COVID-19: Team and Human

Factors to Improve Safety. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/covid-19-team-and-human-factors-improve-safety

Campione, J. & Famolaro, T. (2017). Promising Practices for Improving Hospital Patient Safety

Culture. Safety Culture, 44(1):23-32. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.09.001

Chegini, Z., Janati, A., Afkhami, M., Behjat, M., & Shariful Islam, S. M. (2020). A comparative

study on patient safety culture among emergency nurses in the public and private hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Nursing open, 7(3), 768-775. doi: 10.1002/nop2.449

Finn, K. M., Metlay, J. P., Chang, Y., Nagarur, A., Yang, S., Landrigan, C. P., & Iyasere,

(2018). Effect of Increased Inpatient Attending Physician Supervision on

Medical Errors, Patient Safety, and Resident Education: A Randomized Clinical

Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 178(7), 952–959. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.1244

Galvão, T. F., Lopes, M. C. C., Oliva, C. C. C., Araújo, M. E. D. A., & Silva, M. T. (2018).

Patient safety culture in a university hospital. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 26. doi: 10.1590/1518-8345.2257.3014

Johnson, J. K., & Sollecito, W. A. (2020). McLaughlin & Kaluzny’s Continuous Quality

Improvement in Health Care (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett

Learning.

Reis, C. T., Paiva, S. G., & Sousa, P. (2018). The patient safety culture: a systematic review by

characteristics of hospital survey on patient safety culture dimensions. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 30(9): 660-677. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzy080