Quality Improvement
To offset the inefficiencies experienced in most of the modern acute healthcare facilities, the media piece provides a quality improvement initiative that is based on four fundamental steps. The main purpose of this initiative is to enhance improvement in the way patients are handled thus safe clinical handover procedures to avoid vulnerability to discontinuity among patients during transitions.
The four-stage quality implementation initiative entails:
- Ensuring awareness of the problems and opportunities associated with handover through proper directions, the involvement of end-user, accountability, and recognition of the complexity of the problem.
- Recognition of the solutions through the application and adaptation of excellent practices in the setting (Laureate, 2011)
- Implementation of the best practices that are adapted to fit the local setting with the aid of good communication, training, and documentation.
- Institutionalization of changes of practices through monitoring, integration, and active dissemination (Clarke and Persaud, 2011).
The most important action for the initiative is conducting a thorough evaluation at each stage. The leader’s and managers’ rationale in advocating for this quality improvement initiative is to lead to the safety of patients and enhance effectiveness in the hospital setting when it comes to patient hand over (Sennett, 2010). The management also aimed at creating knowledge and stimulating primary changes in the practices and policies entailing patient handover.
In the acute setting, patient handover is adversely handled and this is evident through the absence of prior identification of solutions to patients’ needs and absence of institutionalized practice changes. This also forms the basis of the managements’ rationale towards the need for the quality improvement initiative (Lazarus,2011).
Johnson et al. (2016) point out a very critical error in a healthcare facility, whereby patients experience specimen errors due to manual handing over of patients with no specific guidelines. The authors suggested electronic nurses handing over and content that is structured to overcome this problem. This error has happened in several hospitals including the acute setting healthcare facility.
Reference
Clarke, C. M., & Persaud, D. D. (2011). Leading clinical handover improvement: a change strategy to implement best practices in the acute care setting. Journal of patient safety, 7(1), 11-18.
Sennett, C. (2010). Healthcare reform: Quality outcomes measurement and reporting. American Health & Drug Benefits.
Johnson, M., Sanchez, P., & Zheng, C. (2016). Reducing patient clinical management errors using structured content and electronic nursing handover. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 31(3), 245-253.
Lazarus, I.R. (2011). What will It take? Exploiting trends in strategic planning to prepare for reform. Journal of Healthcare Management, 56(2), 89–93.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement: Organizational priorities for quality improvement. Baltimore: Author.
