1. Quality Aims: The Foundation for a Quality Plan
1/13/2019 5:43 AM
Quality Aims: The Foundation for a Quality Plan

2. What is a Quality Aim?
Quality Aims articulate the organization’s priorities for improving the quality of service delivery over a time horizon of approximately 3 years.
Most organizations focus on no more than 3-4 Quality Aims at one time.

3. Why are Quality Aims Important?
They translate the organization’s strategic directions into a focused improvement portfolio – for staff and the external world – everyone can remember a few things!
They serve as a communication tool that allows each person in the organization to understand how he/she contributes to the organization’s priorities for quality service delivery.
Articulated properly, you know whether and when you’ve achieved your goals.
With stretch targets established for a 3 year time horizon, they inspire and motivate staff to engage in improvement.

4. Let’s look at a comparison of a typical Strategic Direction (from a Strategic Plan) vs a Quality Priority (foundation for a Quality Plan)
Strategic Goal
Strengthen strategic partnerships with other health and social service agencies to provide more co-ordinated community-based care.
Quality Aim/Priority
By March 31, 2018, we will improve the client experience with care coordination by 25%.
Note re: if well articulated, outcome measure should be embedded in aim.
What’s the Difference?
The Quality Aim is more specific and measurable.

5. Let’s look at the components of a Quality Aim
By when?
How much?
By March 31, 2018, we will improve client experience with care coordination by 25%
It is very important to ensure that this component reflects one of the five dimensions of quality – this Aim needs to focus on something that is important to clients and families, and something that will be inspiring to staff!!!
As measured by?

6. Let’s assess some: Which would you say are good, bad or ugly, based on the guidelines?
Aims
GOOD
BAD
UGLY
We will improve access to service by 15% by March 31, 2018.
We will decrease falls resulting in injury by 20% by March 31, 2018.
We will increase the number of volunteers over the next two years in order to decrease wait times for service.
We will maintain the functional capability scores of clients from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2018.
We will decrease wait times for service initiation for clients by 15% over the next year.
We will improve client experience with service continuity by March 31, 2016.
We will advocate for enhanced program funding to expand from 1 to 3 sites by March 31, 2018 in order to address unmet needs.

7. Where in the Quality Plan Templates do the Quality Aims fit?
The Health Quality Ontario templates don’t specifically refer to the need for organizational Quality Aims; however, the Short Form (narrative) includes a section called Overview, under which these Aims can be inserted. Remember: this is a one year plan, so the Quality Aims will be repeated for the number of years they form the foundation for your Plan.
Quality Aims/Priorities
Overview (Objectives, Alignment with other organizational & jurisdictional planning)
Integration and Continuity of Care
Challenges, Risks, Mitigation Strategies
Information Management Systems
Engagement of Patients, Staff & Broader Leadership
Accountability Management

8. To summarize…. A good quality aim:
Serves as a bridge between a Strategic Plan and a Quality Plan
Is articulated as: How much? By when? As measured by? (the “as measured by” must reflect an outcome that is important to clients and is aligned with one of the 5 dimensions of quality!)
Supports the Quality Plan for a 2-3 year time horizon
Should be included in the narrative Short Form template for submission to Health Quality Ontario