The Application Of Measuring And Improving Quality

Johnson, E. D. (2013). Problems with the Standard Model. Retrieved 8 11, 2015, from Physics: ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu

Luis Walter Alvarez was born on June 13th in the year 1911 in San Francisco but at that time no one knew he was going to be a world renowned physicist. As a adolescent, his love for science, technology and machines was evident, but no one guessed he would make something out of it. He and his father (Walter C. Alvarez) built a radio when he was eleven, this was when the radio was still a new invention. Graduating from The University of Chicago in 1932 and earning his phD in 1936 was not the end of his scientific interest. Luis Walter Alvarez continued to study science and physics. He was credited with many necessary discoveries about subatomic particles for which he earned the Nobel Prize in physics. His work did not stop there. He was a co-developer in the creation of the “ground-control approach system” for aircraft during the 1940’s. Luis Walter Alverez had a very significant role in the development Manhattan Project, in which he suggested the technique used for the detonation of an atomic bomb. He was member of the National Inventor's Hall of Fame. On top of all this he held ownership of the patents for over 30 inventions including radar systems and the bubble chamber.

Herman R. Branson received a B.S. from the Virginia State College in 1936, his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1939, and was Assistant Professor of Physics and Chemistry at Howard University. Branson’s dissertation for his Ph.D. included a description of his research results, The Differential

The nurse is challenged with the care of patients over a lifespan. Each stage of life brings its own physical and emotional changes which directs the care needs. The care needs of the pediatric patient will be much different from the needs of the geriatric population. The geriatric population has very specific needs which has prompted the government to establish the Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. The QAPI provides the framework for nursing facilities to develop and implement changes which address deficiencies the facility was found to have. Also, the QAPI program requires practices and policy be put in place to monitor care of the residents. The purpose of this paper is to list some of the changes the elderly go through as they age, and demonstrate these changes in a quality improvement project. After review of literature, I will discuss the challenges, barriers, and solutions as related to quality improvement. Lastly, I will discuss the quality of care for the geriatric in the future.

Quality improvement data is followed in all health care setting. The use of Cerner EHRs allows data to be obtained from patient charts to analyze core measures. According to the joint commission influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations measures should be addressed in all hospital in-patients (The Joint Commission, 2015). Data can be retrieved on those patient who were diagnosed with pneumonia to determine if they received the vaccinations for pneumonia and influenza. As well as tracking the time frame between diagnosis and treatment, and additionally the patient outcome. This is captured through the documentation of the clinical staff. The information can be analyzed to determine the quality improvement changes that need to be implemented to improve patient outcomes.

Senior leadership must determine and direct the level of quality that is acceptable within the organization. Leadership should prioritize areas of quality and use data based on benchmarks from other facilities. (Dlugacz, 2006). In addition the author states there are some important areas that must be monitored for quality. Compliance must be followed by leaders and all

Falls are a major cause of injury and death in the frail older population with Alzheimer’s disease. Residents in the long-term care settings experience falls for many reasons and are likely to endure injuries more than those in other settings. Preventing falls in this setting posed significant challenge, many have cognitive problems, aged related changes, chronic medical conditions, medication effects, and physical limitations requiring dedicated interdisciplinary efforts (Vance, 2011).

With response to the online job posting on Trillium Gift of Life Network website, I am applying for the position of Quality Analyst at Trillium Gift of Life at 522 University Avenue as suggested by Nisha De Silva; the current Quality Analyst – Organ in the Quality department. I have graduated in the stream of Nursing and hold a previous degree with a Specialization in Anthropology, both from the University of Toronto.

The National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). NQMC is a website and database for information on evidence-based health care quality measures and measure sets (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). “The NQMC mission is to provide practitioners, health care providers, health plans, integrated delivery systems, purchasers and others an accessible mechanism for obtaining detailed information on quality measures, and to further their dissemination, implementation, and use in order to inform health care decisions” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). There are several measures established in the NQMC that deal with prescribing the correct medications for hospitalized patients.

Dr. Shirley Jackson is the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, but she didn’t get there easily. From 1964-68 she was a scholar at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), after graduating in 1964 as valedictorian of her class. Here, she earned her bachelors degree after writing her thesis on solid-state physics. She also got her Ph.D. in ’73 on elementary particles, becoming the first African American female to receive a doctorate in theoretical solid state.

Quality measures are set in place by Southwest General Hospital (SGH) to assess the delivery of its health care. These measurement systems allow the hospital access to tools that enhance the efficiency and delivery of patient care. One system that SGH uses to promote quality is the use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system which reduces medication errors. Another way Southwest General promotes the measurement of quality data is by becoming the first local hospital to use a high-tech system to track staff in promoting hygiene. Karen Barnhart RN, Director of Quality states, “Our staff members clip a small device onto their badges which then interfaces

Pearl, you mentioned in your post that quality improvement (QI) performance measures are tied to financial reimbursement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) certainly apply quality improvement to providers’ reimbursement. CMS sets rules to follow to keep health care costs down and make sure the program is not paying for treatment that is unnecessary or harmful. Private insurers are implementing restrictions as well. A patient asked yesterday about how the Affordable Care Act had affected a family practice. The provider answered that it had certainly made there more rules to follow to ensure full reimbursement of expenses. This is part of CMS’ initiative to save taxpayer money. CMS states that its programs measure data

After the interview with my nurse manager, I came up with the PICO question which states: “Does the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system reduce the number of medication errors compared to the common paper system being used today?” This question is important and I selected it because the population that the Belvoir Community hospital serves includes army officers of all ages both active and retired including their spouses and children. This group includes two sub groups of highly vulnerable persons which include the very young and the very old, who have a high-risk effect for medication errors because the potential adverse drug event is three times greater than an adult hospitalized patient (Levine et al., 2001). CPOE is not a panacea, but it does represent an effective tool for bringing real-time, evidence-based decision support to physicians. Nurses are the last defense level of protection against medication errors, and are solely responsible for the dispensing, administering, and monitoring of medications. In healthcare, computers can be used to help facilitate clear and accurate communication between health care professionals. When using a CPOE system it allows physicians to type in prescriptions right into the device or computer which significantly lessens any mistakes that can occur when

iConsultant is committed to implementing appropriate quality management systems and processes to enable the delivery of the highest practicable quality products and services. Dyson Limited engaged iConsultant to strategize a total quality transformation for the company to overcome its current quality challenges and hone its competitiveness in the world market.

Quality is never an accident it is always the results of high intention, sincere efforts, intelligent directions and skillful execution, it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.