1. Best Care @ Western Health
… a Framework for Quality, Safety & the Patient Experience
Joy MacDonald1, Alison Rule2,
1 Director Quality, Safety & the Patient Experience, 2 Director Corporate Governance & Planning; Western Health, Victoria, Australia
Introduction
Results
Results
Review of WH’s framework for clinical quality and safety in highlighted that, whilst built on a solid foundation, it had become fragmented and unfocused over time due to competing demands from external frameworks, standards and improvement programs.
We decided that it was time for a fresh approach.
Western Health’s Improvement Capability ratings (rated by Senior Leadership Group) improved across all categories following the introduction of Best Care.
Best WH strongly supported compliance with National Std 1 (Governance for Quality & Safety) at Accreditation Survey, with Surveyors suggesting that we share our approach .
… our Clinical Committee Structure, Education Program, Policy & Procedure system, and Risk Register are all now aligned with the WH Dimensions of Best Care
… organisation-wide priority projects have been identified against each Dimension of Best Care and are being driven and monitored by Executive sponsors
Aim
We wanted to create a rich picture of what Best Care means for our patients and see it …
Informing the continual monitoring, review and improvement of care
Reflected in the behaviours of staff providing care
Guiding robust governance systems supporting care.
Guiding robust governance systems
Informing review & improvement of care
Reflected in the behaviours of staff
Rich Picture of Best Care
A staff member recently surprised a senior leader by pitching her suitability for a position at interview against the Best Care patient statements.
Methods
Conclusion
We used a strategic quality systems blueprint 1 to design a practical methodology to transfer what is important to patients into a vision for Best Care and translated this into care dimensions and governance systems that could guide, monitor, review and improve care across Western Health.
At Western Health, our vision for quality care and services is that each of our patients receives ‘Best Care’ with us, every time. This means that we work together and in partnership with our patients to achieve the following outcomes for every patient:
Person-Centred Care … I am seen & treated as a person
Co-ordinated Care … I receive help, treatment & information when I need it & in a co-ordinated way
Right Care … I receive care that makes me feel better
Safe Care … I feel safe
For staff providing or supporting care, leading care and/or governing care, this involves continually focusing behaviours and actions on these outcomes and developing organisation-wide systems to support Best Care.
Then … twelve months ago we had a quality and safety system that was straining to accommodate external quality requirements/opportunities
Now … we have a system that focuses on care from the perspective of our patients, engages our staff, and absorbs and supports our in-house quality requirements and external frameworks, standards and programs.
… Best Care statements are now included in staff position descriptions, interview questions, performance review templates, orientation programs and leadership walkarounds.
… the rich picture of Best Western Health was developed with patients and staff, with both of these groups finding it easy to understand and useful to guide the review and improvement of care
Contact for more information …
Consumer input/feedback was vital in developing robust, useful Best Care statements.
1 Reference:
Cathy Balding, (2013) Create a Great Quality System in Six Months