Quality Improvement

Process Improvements in the ED increase sepsis bundle compliance, reduce mortality

Effectively treating any infection requires a certain measure of early identification and rapid response. Infections, by their nature, worsen over time, so hospitals with successful care processes that rapidly identify and treat infections often see the most success. Continue reading this article here.

Integrating Quality Into Medical School Curriculum: One Student’s Perspective

The traditional medical school curriculum has a heavy scientific focus, especially in the first two years. In an already jam-packed curriculum, it can be difficult to replace any of the materials with improvement science. To combat this, Hofstra-North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine launched—with the school’s inaugural class in 2011—a four-year curriculum in patient safety, quality, and effectiveness. The following is an example of the impact this curriculum had on me, a student in that first class. Continue reading the article here.

The Emory Experience: Quality Improvement Skills Lab in Interdisciplinary Education

In spring 2014, one day after taking my Step 2 Clinical Knowledge of the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE), I finally had time to turn my attention to thoughts about my future and to the email messages that had accumulated over the past month. One announcement stood out: The Emory University Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School chapter was seeking applications for its leadership team. Continue reading the article here.

Quality Improvement: Financial Incentives – An Indispensable Element for Quality Improvement

W alter McClure, one of the nation’s most astute health policy analysts, is rightfully recognized as one of the principal architects of strategies to harness market forces as an instrument for healthcare system reform (Business Week, 1982; Iglehart,…
http://psqh.com/Quality-Improvement-financial-incentives-an-indispensable-element-for-Quality-Improvement

American College of Surgeons: Four Critical Elements of an Effective Quality Improvement Process

American College of Surgeons Four Critical Elements of an Effective Quality Improvement Process By Clifford Ko, MD, MSHS More than a decade since the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) landmark To Err Is Human report put a spotlight on Quality Improvement…
http://psqh.com/four-critical-elements-of-an-effective-Quality-Improvement-process

Information Systems: Web-Based Tools Aid Quality Improvement Projects

C linicians naturally seek Improvement and evaluate alternate ways to provide appropriate and optimal care for their patients. While many healthcare organizations have embraced TQM (total Quality management), Six Sigma, PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act), and…
http://psqh.com/information-systems-web-based-tools-aid-Quality-Improvement-projects

Measuring and Improving Surgical Quality

Measuring and Improving Surgical Quality By Clifford Y. Ko,MD, MS, MSHS, FACS Over the past decade, the number of Quality measurement programs — both mandatory and voluntary — has grown exponentially as hospitals respond to public and government…
http://psqh.com/measuring-and-improving-surgical-Quality

Accounting for Patient Risks: A Prerequisite to Quality Improvement

American College of Surgeons Accounting for Patient Risks: A Prerequisite to Quality Improvement By Clifford Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS Taking into account the health risks posed by the condition of each individual patient is not just critical to improving…
http://psqh.com/accounting-for-patient-risks-a-prerequisite-to-Quality-Improvement

American College of Surgeons Announces Goal to Enlist 1,000 Hospitals to its National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

CHICAGO (July 18, 2011) – The American College of Surgeons (ACS) today announced its goal to enlist at least 1,000 hospitals into its respected National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®). The commitment is part of the ACS Inspiring…
http://psqh.com/american-college-of-surgeons-announces-goal-to-enlist-1000-hospitals-to-its-national-surgical-Quality-Improvement-program

Quality Reporting Through a Data Warehouse

D eveloping a clinical data warehouse is a key first step toward improving Quality reporting functionality, which supports the entire care enterprise.
http://psqh.com/Quality-reporting-through-a-data-warehouse

The Leadership Value Equation: Quality Care at Reasonable Cost

The Leadership Value Equation: Quality Care at Reasonable Cost By Barbara Rebold, RN, MS, CPHQ; Alide Chase, MSN; and Jed Weissberg, MD Effective Quality programs require leadership engagement. External pressures such as healthcare reform,…
http://psqh.com/the-leadership-value-equation-Quality-care-at-reasonable-cost

Patient Safety in Africa: A Culture Shift?

Patient Safety in Africa: A Culture Shift? By Stephen Powell, MS; Daniel Baily, MS; Njide Ndili, MIS; and Christopher Ente, MS Patient safety has received increased attention in African countries in the last decade, yet little is known about African…
http://psqh.com/patient-safety-in-africa-a-culture-shift

The Critical Importance of Good Data to Improving Quality

American College of Surgeons The Critical Importance of Good Data to Improving Quality By Clifford Ko, MD, MSHS The ability to fairly, accurately, and meaningfully measure—and remeasure—the Quality of healthcare is a challenging prerequisite to…
http://psqh.com/the-critical-importance-of-good-data-to-improving-Quality