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The quality of patient care has improved during the last 12 months.
Survey Domain: Organization
Survey Theme: Quality/Customer Focus
Understanding the Issue: The first step is to understand the issues behind the survey performance scores. Unless you are absolutely sure that you understand the issues related to a particular survey item, the best place to start is identifying them, and the section Understanding Issues can help you do so. The activities described in Understanding Issues can be used for any of the survey items. Make sure you know what is behind your low score before you begin acting.
Improvement ideas:
Perceptions of what has, or has not, improved will often be unit-based. When assessing results, employees' perceptions will be based on their understanding of what improvement goals were set and what the expectations are for specific outcomes. Therefore, goals and expectations must be clearly communicated.
Communicate specific quality goals in conversations with employees during huddles, rounding, staff meetings, and at the beginning of each new performance cycle or project. The improvement goal(s) should be seen as the highest priority and always on the radar.
Identify measurements that will provide evidence of progress. Conduct periodic analyses and ensure all employees are aware of the status and what needs to be done to move the goals forward. Share with all employees the results of HCAHPS and other reporting metrics; make sure these results are understood.
Look for stories, outcomes, achievements that exemplify desired results and communicate them widely.
Recognize that, in clinical settings, autonomy and professionalism are critical elements for optimal patient outcomes, as well as collaborative practice and Magnet designation. To ensure broad awareness and understanding, care providers, nurses, aides, technicians and therapists should be involved in setting goals, making improvements, assessing progress, and reporting periodically on goal progress.
Provide opportunities for employees to discuss barriers to quality improvement efforts and to solve problems around removing them. Use the force field analysis tool to examine all the forces for and against a decision.
(MI 78)