Measurements of Quality of Care in a Hospital
SENARIO:
Imagine that you are a hospital administrator at the Sunlight Hospital in California. The main complaint among the patients is the quality of care. The hospital board has become aware of this issue and wants to see it addressed. Your job is to understand the state of the hospital, create value, increase efficiency, and turn the facility into a local hospital of choice. Whenever you are making visits in various wards to meet the employees and the patients, you hear how the patients love the hospital, but they would like to see certain improvements in care. The employees seem to be very busy executing their duties and not interacting much with the patients. The hospital board has asked you to compile a report of your findings and suggested strategy for achieving the hospital's current goals.
Note: You may create or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.
Write a 4-page paper in which you:
-Identify five measurements of quality of care in a hospital, and explain the major reasons why you believe these measurements matter to patients in their process of choosing a hospital for emergency or inpatient care.
-Determine four main features in health care organizations that can be used to design a successful quality improvement plan. Describe the manner in which the features can lead to failure or success of quality of care in Sunlight Hospital.
-Propose the main reasons why quality of care would add value to and create a competitive advantage for the Sunlight Hospital. Provide a rationale for your response.
-----------------Use at least four quality sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment.
Managing Healthcare Quality
Author's Name
The Institutional Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Instructor Name
Assignment Due Date
Managing Healthcare Quality
1 Introduction
Managing healthcare quality involves establishing and maintaining standards for delivering healthcare services to ensure that they are safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. It can include implementing processes for continuous improvement, measuring and analyzing data to track progress, and engaging patients and healthcare providers in efforts to improve care. Critical strategies for managing healthcare quality may include developing and implementing clinical guidelines, investing in technology and infrastructure, promoting teamwork and collaboration among healthcare providers, and encouraging patient engagement and empowerment (Endeshaw, 2020). Ultimately, the goal of quality of care measurement is to provide patients with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care and to ensure that they receive the best possible care.
2 Discussion and Analysis
2.1 Five Key Quality Care Measurements
Measuring the quality of care in a hospital is essential for ensuring patients receive high-quality, safe, and effective care. Patients prefer to choose a hospital where they receive practical and high-quality safe care, feel valued and respected, and receive prompt and efficient care (Shala & Alimehmeti, 2016). Measuring the quality of care in a hospital is critical for ensuring that patients receive safe, effective, and high-quality care; the quality of service delivery in healthcare has always been an agenda to discuss. Five key measurements of quality of care include:
1 Clinical Outcomes
This measurement focuses on care results, such as the rates of complications, readmissions, and patient satisfaction with their treatment. Clinical outcomes directly indicate the quality of a patient's care and are often used to compare hospitals and health systems. These metrics matter to patients because they want to choose a hospital where they will receive effective and safe care and have a high chance of a successful outcome.
2 Patient Safety
This measurement focuses on the safety of patients during their hospital stay. This includes adverse events, such as infections, falls, and medication errors (Thenmozhi & Ilavarasi, 2017). Patient safety is of utmost importance to patients because they want to choose a hospital where they will not be at risk during their stay.
3 Patient Experience
This measurement focuses on the patient's overall experience with the hospital and its staff. This includes communication, responsiveness, and the level of comfort and support provided. Patient experience matters to patients because they want to choose a hospital where they feel valued and respected and receive compassionate and supportive care.
4 Timeliness of Care
This measurement focuses on the speed and efficiency of care delivery. This includes the time to diagnosis, treatment, and length of stay in the hospital. Timeliness of care matters to patients because they want to choose a hospital where they will receive prompt and efficient care and will not be kept waiting for extended periods.
5 Health Care Utilization
This measurement focuses on the cost and efficiency of care delivery. This includes the cost of treatments, the use of resources, and the overall cost of care. Healthcare utilization matters to patients because they want to choose a hospital where they will receive cost-effective and efficient care and will not incur high costs for their treatments.
1 Four Main Features in Healthcare Organizations
6 Leadership
Effective leadership is essential for creating a culture of continuous improvement and promoting a focus on the quality of care. A strong leadership team that sets a clear vision, provides support and resources and actively engages in quality improvement efforts is critical for su...