ABQAURP News

January / February 2012

Quality Conundrums
 

Complexity – The Ruling Quality Conundrum

The beginning of each New Year starts with resolutions for many of us. One of mine was to get things right, to provide high quality care for my patients and high quality partnership for my colleagues. That thought drove me in search of definition. What gets measured gets done, as we all know; if we can’t define it, we can’t measure it; and if we can’t measure it… And this is the point at which I am stuck.

I recall nurses using the Five Rights of medication administration and wonder if that approach could serve as a model for quality health care? Allow the Five Rights of Patient Requirements for Quality Health Care: 1) Right Patient, 2) Right Diagnostic Intervention, 3) Right Treatment, 4) Right Time, and 5) Right Cost to provide direction for patients and clinicians? Would that framework lead to simple definitions of patient-centered, quality health care and associated metrics?

The increasing regulatory complexity of the health care system was presumably intended to improve the quality of care. I don’t think it does, do you?

Since we do know that human factors (people) rather than regulation impact what really happens in health care, are we making things worse instead of better with this regulatory morass? Brave leaders of some health care organizations report that they have given up on compliance with details and are just trying to get the ‘gist’ right. If these visionary leaders have it right, perhaps there is a way to get myself (and others) unstuck?

Could we solve the ultimate quality conundrum of 2012 by trading complexity for simplicity? And if we can, do you think we will?

Please send inquiries and comments to rwillog@abqaurp.org, please use
Quality Column in the subject line.
We look forward to your participation in this new column. 

Save the Dates!

2012 Board Certification Examination Window
Exam Window Opening Soon (Spring 2012)
New Transitions of Care Sub-Specialty and Updated Exam


“A Review of the Core Body of Knowledge” Exam Preparation Live Course
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Tampa, FL
www.abqaurp.org/cbk-live-2012.asp


35th Annual Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Conference
April 21, 2012*
Atlanta, GA
www.abqaurp.org/atlanta-2012.asp

Register online now at www.abqaurp.org or call 800-998-6030, ext. 117
*Conference dates and locations are subject to change.

Upcoming ABQAURP
Accredited Events

To accredit your educational events for continuing education credit, contact Deborah Naser at 800-998-6030, ext. 118.

JOINT SPONSORSHIPS

Philips-VISICU
The Source: What’s New Monthly Articles

October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2012
(Online Education)
www.abqaurp.org/module2.asp?CourseID=66

Georgia Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (GSASC) and
South Carolina Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (SCASCA)

GSASC/SCASCA 2012 Joint Semi-Annual
Conference & Trade Show

March 8-9, 2012
Atlanta, GA
http://www.gsasc.org/annual_meeting.cfm

World Congress
Integrating Behavioral Health into
Patient-Centered Primary Care
and
Medical Homes and Optimizing the
Role of the Physician Advisor
March 22-23, 2012
Orlando, FL
www.worldcongress.com

The Healthy Aging Group of America (Access Labs)
2012 International Anti-Aging Show & Expo
March 23, 2012    
www.accessmedlab.com


Physicians’ IT Symposium
HIMSS12
February 20, 2012
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.himssconference.org/education/SympPhysician.aspx

Is Your Medical Education Accredited?

ABQAURP welcomes applications for joint sponsorship of educational activities for continuing education credit. ABQAURP accredits a variety of activities, including:

  • Live Activity
  • Internet Activity Live
  • Enduring Material
  • Internet Activity Enduring Material
  • Journal-Based CME
  • Performance Improvement

ABQAURP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians and is also accredited by the Florida Board of Nursing to sponsor nursing contact hours. As an accredited provider, ABQAURP is here to work with each joint sponsor organization to ensure the accreditation process runs as smoothly as possible. Benefits of working with ABQAURP include: one-on-one assistance, on-site assistance, contact for speakers and commercial supporters, evaluation compilation, one-time mailing list to drive attendance, website placement, and advertising in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare magazine.

ABQAURP believes that ongoing continuing education in new research, identified problem areas in clinical practice, and areas of interest in the quality assurance, utilization review, risk management, and managed care fields is a worthy endeavor to pursue. Participants improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of health care delivered to the patients to improve the overall clinical outcome. Plus, each activity encourages participants to put into practice knowledge learned and assess the impact. Innovative courses provide important updates and practical tools for all health care professionals. These activities ensure that participating health care professionals receive up-to-date information on the ever-changing health care environment.

For more information, please call Deborah Naser at (800) 998-6030, ext. 118.

Member Update

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ABQAURP
wants to recognize members for their achievements in advancing the
field of health care quality management and patient safety. Please send
your news to ABQAURP by email to feature@abqaurp.org for consideration.



American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc.
6640 Congress Street
New Port Richey, FL 34653
Toll- free 800/998-6030  •  Tel. 727/569-0190
Fax 727/569-0195  •  www.abqaurp.org