ARIEL FLUG, SPT Importance of Quality of Care in the Health Professions

Objectives Determine the importance of quality of care Discuss how teamwork can be used to improve care Identify how quality of care can be enhanced in all health profession fields

What is Quality of Care? Providing a patient with a true evaluation Services that are given in a timely fashion Delivering proper communication and compassion Care that is culturally sensitive Decisions based off of proper knowledge and experience

Quality of Care in the United States National trends of potentially avoidable hospitalizations of adults

Why is This Important? Delivering good care and educating patients on their health can postpone or prevent illness or disease Better quality of care has a positive correlation with quality of life (National Healthcare Quality Report, 2011) Early detection of health issues could lead to less hospitalizations -Less hospitalizations=less cost

Is Quality of Care Measurable? Reduction of pain -consider factors such as location and onset Length of injury/disease -consider factors such as age and type of impairment More complex to measure quality of care because it is not objective!

Specificity of Care Type of care is dependent on the individual -age -sex -history -personality -quality of life -impairment -patient goals

Miscommunication “if medical errors appeared on the National Center for Health Statistic’s list of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, they would rank number 5—ahead of accidents, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease” (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, JCHAO) Lack of communication leads to: -medical errors -incorrect dosing schedules -delays in treatment -wrong surgeries -severe injury -unexpected death

Barriers to Effective Communication Cultural differences -characteristics such as assertiveness and being opinionated vary from culture to culture Gender differences -men and women express communication differently Hierarchy -power and control can often override a health professionals ability to put the patients needs first

Collaboration All healthcare professionals must work together to reach a goal of improved quality of care Standards must be placed on screenings, immunizations, diagnostic tests and other measures of preventative care Communication between a patients primary care physician, nurses, doctors etc. are essential

Teamwork is The Answer! Share Responsibilities Work towards a common goal Appreciate each others skills Work together when making decisions

Build a Foundation In order to improve quality of care in our patients, health professionals must make the first step Hold professional development in service meetings -discuss the dynamic of the team of healthcare providers Stress the importance and correlation between teamwork and quality care during orientation Set standards on behavior policies in the working environment

Commitment Health professionals must pledge to work as a team to reach their patients functional goals Programs and other professional sources must be available to address the distribution of quality of care

Moving Forward Quality of care is improving in the United States Varies significantly across the country There is still a large gap between the care that is currently given and the potential care that can be given

References 1. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Joint Commission guide to improving staff communication. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources; O’Daniel M, Rosenstein AH. Professional Communication and Team Collaboration. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence- Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 33. Available from: Rockville, M.D. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Publication No By Carolyn Clancy and William Munier. Ahrq, Mar Web. 10 Oct Rockville, M.D. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Publication No Ahrq, Sept Web. 10 Oct