In the 21st-century healthcare system, each facility has its own continuous quality improvement approach. Robust facilities have comprehensive models while lesser care facilities have limited and construed Quality Improvement programs. The difference may cause quality of care delivery by opposing care facilities. A quality of care model can result in improved healthcare standards among healthcare systems regardless of their size or resources. The proposed research study will highlight healthcare agencies ability to ensure a standard of continuous quality improvement implemented by all healthcare entities regardless of size. The objective is to design a continuous quality improvement model to ensure uniform delivery of care.
Dixon-Woods (2014) notes that while quality improvement in healthcare has only a brief history, the history is full of examples of programs that do not consistently manage to export their success once transplanted beyond their home soil. Meaning, there are only effective in the home environment. Thus, teams must work to address quality improvement initiatives across departments and organizations, to address quality issues, as a good example of how quality can be effective when collaborative quality systems are able to achieve significant improvements in quality and achieve success (Dixon-Woods, 2014; Stover, et al. 2014). Unfortunately, more research is needed to investigate the process of quality and continuous improvement, prior to implementation of successful quality improvement initiatives (Blessing & Forister, 2013).
Components of the Problem Statement: Four Steps
STATEMENT 1 – Description of ideal scenario
To provide ideal healthcare to patients, healthcare agencies regardless of size or resources will provide effective Continuous Quality Improvement paradigms to ensure that uniform quality care is delivered (Dixon-Woods, 2014). This will entail multidisciplinary teams working across organizations to address quality issues, and work to prevent drop out (Mohammed & Yusof, 2013). The ideal system will be one that incorporates multidisciplinary teams working across diverse agencies, varying in size and support, along with resources. The system that provides for quality improvement and continuous improvement will utilize collaborative resources. In this way agencies can guarantee for provision of healthcare of patients regardless of the size and number of healthcare providers located within the agency. This will result in development of best-practices within agencies.
STATEMENT 2 – The reality of the situation
Currently, healthcare systems utilize different Continuous Quality Improvement paradigms, depending on their size and resources (Shi & Sing, 2014). As such, healthcare delivery varies from agency to agency, and uniform care, along with quality of care delivery cannot be guaranteed to all patients (Dixon-Woods, 2014).
STATEMENT 3 – The consequences for the audience
If uniform and quality care is not delivered, then the quality of life for patients may continue to suffer (Dixon-Woods, 2014). Research suggests that interventions are only likely to succeed if QI interventions are joined together within the context of a team, organization or health system, through many contextual layers, including practice, policy and practitioners (Dixon-Woods, 2014). But, programs will suffer if continuous improvement participants drop out before results are realized. This is even more likely if programs are started, but the participants involved in programs drop out of programs in the middle of continuous improvement initiatives. It is vital that a paradigm of Continuous Quality Improvement be developed so that patients are ensured appropriate and uniform care, which ultimately also improves service delivery and the safety of patients and providers.
RESEARCH
What is the most cost effective Continuous Quality Improvement paradigm that can be adopted by all health organizations regardless of their size and their ability to ensure that uniform and quality care is delivered? This particular research question will help provide answers to a problem that has loomed over the healthcare industry for many years. There are very few research proposals that have focused on this specific research question.
- Blessing, J. D., & Forister, J. G. (2013). Introduction to research and medical literature for health professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
- Dixon-Woods, M. (2014). The problem of context in quality improvement. London: Health Foundation.
- Mohammed, S. A., & Yusof, M. M. (2013). Towards an evaluation framework for information quality management (IQM) practices for health information systems–evaluation criteria for effective IQM practices. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 19(2), 379-387.
- Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2014). Delivering health care in America. London, UK: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Stover, K. E., et al. (2014). Building District‐Level Capacity for Continuous Improvement in Maternal and Newborn Health. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 59(s1), S91-S100.
