Question one: Explain the quality improvement process
The process is concerned with the continuous investigation and examination “of products and services to avert errors as well as achieve customer satisfaction” (Yoder-Wise, 2014, p. 368). It is important to say that it is a long-lasting process, and is comprised of a sequence of stages that are designed to plan, execute, and assess modifications in healthcare events. Quality improvement is guided by six goals that ensure that the process is a success. The first step in this development is the identification of needs that are essential to the clients of the healthcare services (Yoder-Wise, 2014). The step is closely followed by the selection of the inter-professional team that reviews the recognized consumer requirements and services.
Data collection is the third step, whereby they are gathered to measure the existing status of the services that are provided in the healthcare institution. After the collection of data, the concerned team is expected to establish quantifiable outcomes as well as quality indicators (Yoder-Wise, 2014). A plan is selected and implemented to meet the results. Finally, data is collected to examine the execution of the project and the achievement of outcomes. Therefore, quality improvement processes as a series of actions that were done by a selected team.
Question two: Explain what is meant by accountability measures and why they are so important?
Accountability measures refer to quality assessment that meets the criteria that are developed to identify actions that cause the most significant impacts on patients’ results when healthcare institutions experience improvement (Chassin, Loeb, Schmaltz, & Wachter, 2010). From this perspective, the criteria that they should meet are research, proximity, accuracy, and adverse effects. Activities, such as perinatal care, immunization, surgical care, among others are examples of accountability measures.
It is crucial to state that accountability measures are critical because they ensure that healthcare facilities offer the best care (Chassin et al., 2010). Second, it allows patients and other people to investigate how well the facility care. Additionally, clients are able to compare the value of service that is provided in different healthcare institutions.