The Tenets Of Healthcare Quality And Safety

The main objective of healthcare professionals is to provide the best quality of patient care and the highest level of patient safety. To achieve that objective, there are many organizations that help improve the quality of care. One of the best examples is the Joint Commission. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is not free from total risks. In healthcare activities, there are possible errors, mistakes, near miss and adverse events. All of those negative events are preventable. But, it is clear that errors caused in healthcare result in thousands of deaths in the United States.

It is estimated that nearly 100,000 people die each year from medical errors in hospitals, with an estimated cost of between $17 and $29 billion per year. Finding a solution to this crisis has become a priority for every healthcare organization, with the realization that most errors are not caused by reckless staff, but by poor systems and processes (Institute of Medicine, 2000). Consequently, healthcare has begun to look to outside organizations in order to find solutions, by examining industries that are considered highly reliable, despite operating in hazardous situations. The lessons learned by these Highly Reliable Organizations (HROs) can be used to promote safe and reliable performance, which in turn should improve patient and staff

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err Is Human, the majority of medical errors result from faulty systems and processes, not individuals (Hughes, 2008). However, due to processes that are inefficient and variable, multiple health insurance, differences in provider education and experience, and other factors that contribute to the complexity of health care the IOM has put together six aims of health care that is effective, safe, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable (Hughes, 2008).

The changes in healthcare over the last several years have been dramatic. All parties, providers, insurers, and the Federal Government are looking for ways to reduce cost and increase quality. The report by the Institute for Medicine in 1999, “To Err is Human” spurred increasing scrutiny in medical care to improve quality at same and looking for ways to reduce risk to patients and increase safety. Discussion of solutions

(IOM) issued the 1999 report, “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health Care System”. The

Definitions of the quality of medical care are no longer left to clinicians who decide for themselves what technical performance constitutes “good care.” What are the other dimensions of quality care and why are they important? What has changed since the days when “doctor knows best?”

The Institute of Medicine of 2001, states numerous areas where healthcare is failing patients, stating delivery of care is often overly complex and uncoordinated, leading to a slowdown in care rather than improved efficiency in regards to patient safety (Institute of Medicine, 2001). To account for the incommodious system, the Institute of Medicine discusses in a health policy review released titled Crossing the Quality Chasm: A new Health System for the 21st Century. six aims for improvement of quality. The six aims for improvement are built around the core of healthcare to be built around safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, equitable and patient centeredness (Institute of Medicine, 2001). A healthcare system that achieves gains in these areas would be better off at meeting patient needs according to the Crossing the Quality Chasm review.

IOM defined quality as “the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge”

Quality and safety initiatives are driving important changes in the U.S. health care delivery system. Quality in health care is defined as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes are consistent with current professional knowledge (Nash & Goldfarb, 2006, p. 6). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err is Human, states that most of the medical errors are resulted from system error and processes. Medical Errors account for 98,000 deaths per year in the US. They increase disability, costs, and decrease confidence in the US health care system (Pham, Aswani, Rosen, Lee, Huddle, Weeks, & Pronovost, 2012). And because of this, the IOM established six aims for improvement. These are safety (care should be as safe for patients in health care facilities as in their homes); effectiveness (the science and evidence behind health care should be applied and serve as the standard in the delivery of care); efficiency (care and service should be cost effective, and waste should be removed from the system); timeliness (patients should experience no waits or delays in receiving care and service); patient-centeredness (the system of care should revolve around the patient, respect patient preferences, and put the patient in control); and equity (unequal treatment should be a fact of the past; disparities in care should be eradicated). These six aims should be measured in order to assess whether the health care

There is a rise in technology dependency with the expectation that better technology equates to better quality of care (Resar, Rozich, Simmonds, & Haraden, 2006). The IOM Committee on the Quality of Health System for the 21st Century (2001) postulated that information technology would become a major stakeholder on the subject of patient safety. Improvement of quality assurance does not only result in patient safety, it also brings about cost reductions for

Quality measures are metrics or tools using which we can assess, quantify and measure healthcare processes, outcomes, patient perceptions, and organizational structure and/or systems which are the core areas towards achieving the ability to ensure high quality care delivery and enable providers in reaching their strategic goals pertaining to quality standards prescribed by authorities for health care. The general term quality measurement is used when addressing both measures of quality of care, defined as “care that results in desired health outcomes and is consistent with best professional practice,” (Council, National Research, 1994) and patient safety, defined as “patients will be free from unintended injury while receiving

In today’s health care system, “quality” and “safety” are one in the same when it comes to patient care. As Florence Nightingale described our profession long ago, it takes work and vigilance to ensure we are doing the best we can to care for our patients. (Mitchell, 2008)

Issues related to a lack of patient safety have been going on for a lot of years now. Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, there has been a national emphasis on cultivating patient safety. Patient safety is a global issue, that touches countries at all levels of expansion and is one of the nation's most determined health care tests. According to the Institute of Medicine (1999), they have measured that as many as 48,000 to 88,000 people are dying in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of lapses in patient safety. Estimates of the size of the problem on this are scarce particularly in developing countries; it is likely that millions of patients worldwide could suffer disabling injuries or death every year due to unsafe medical care. Risk and safety have always been uninterruptedly been significant concerns in the hospital industry. Patient safety is a very much important part of our health care system and it really

In the healthcare industry one of the health professional’s duty is to provide medical help and care to patients, and not create further injury or damage. Unfortunately accidents do happen in the healthcare industry, and as a result there has been a demand and need for quality and safety measures to be carried out (Iizuka, Munechika & Tsuru, 2009). Since quality can be somewhat subjective and relate to patient outcome, there are a number of ways to define quality. Iizuka, Munechika and Tsuru (2009) define quality as the ability to provide patients with effective health services with minimal utilisation of health resource. Alternatively Rose (2005) defines quality as fulfilling patient health needs while avoiding the repetition of staff and mechanical errors. Overall the quality of healthcare refers to the effectiveness and value of the health service.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee to Design a Strategy for Quality Review and Assurance in Medicare defines quality of care to be “the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge” (Ransom, Joshi, Nash & Ransom, 2008). Making sure to have current knowledge on healthcare services is crucial to the quality of care provided, and health care professionals are expected to continuously stay updated on the changing trends. The IOM later released six aims for improvement, or also known as the six dimensions of quality, which are safe, effective, efficient, timely, patient-centered, and equitable.