Managing Quality and Performance Improvement in Health Care - Term Paper Example

?Managing quality and performance improvement in health care “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” Gandhi The field ofhealth care management is one of the most crucial and inevitable elements of social care, in all the countries across the globe. The provision of good quality, affordable and efficient health care services is hence, one of the key goals of health care administrators. Also, as the investments in health care sector increase on account of various reasons, there is a continuous need to improve and sustain the quality of services provided by the health care providers. This paper on ‘Managing quality and performance improvement in health care’ discusses the various issues and factors related to quality management and performance improvement within the health care sector, in the U.S.; the various ways in which good quality health care can be made available to the patients; the tools for improving quality of health care; as well as steps and measures that can be taken to improve performance within this field of service delivery etc., in a comprehensive manner. Introduction: Access to good quality health care is fast becoming one of the fastest growing areas of concern for health care providers, worldwide. There has been a rapid improvement in the field of science and technology, as is evident from the range of assistive technologies and tools now available in the market, to facilitate and enable an improved quality of health care delivery. However, the access to an optimum quality of good and affordable health care continues to remain elusive for a significant proportion of the American population. According to statistics, approximately 50.7 million people in the U.S. are currently uninsured, which is estimated to be at a record high and reflects the magnitude of health crisis that has befallen the average American citizen in present times (msnbc, 2010). Furthermore, the constant and rapid rise in healthcare costs further adds to the problem, thus making health care inaccessible and out of reach for an average citizen (healthcareproblems.org, 2011). Also, there is a huge disparity in the provision of health care services to people across all sections of the society, which has a significant and negative impact on the overall quality of health care services provided. According to research and available statistics, a significant proportion of populations belonging to diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, such as the African-Americans or the Hispanic population, are reported to have suffered discrimination on all counts, i.e. personal, multi-item, as well as general, as compared to their white counterparts. Such discrimination based on one's race within the health care settings have a major impact on the quality of health care received by the patients and in shaping their perceptions towards health care services offered to them, thus limiting their access to efficient health care services (Shavers & Shavers, 2006). Such discrimination tends to have a negative impact on the performance of healthcare sector, and hence active steps with regard to performance management must be taken to ensure that the healthcare delivery sector works in accordance with the standards prescribed by the management and provides optimum services to all patients in an optimum manner. Problems such as these warrant a significant transformation within the field of health care management, in order to ensure the availability of effective and optimum service delivery, which can be achieved through the implementation of policies and measures aimed at improving the performance of the said sector. Quality management and performance improvement in healthcare: The system and management of health care delivery has changed drastically over the past couple of decades, owing to various factors such as the increased involvement of the federal government in health care provision, followed by a strong consumer movement which in turn has led to an increased demand for good quality care, thus making healthcare delivery one of the most sought after elements of our social fabric. Furthermore, the added pressure of a worsening economy, rising costs, and the drastic change brought about by radical technological innovations in the new millennium, the pressure on healthcare service providers has increased significantly. The financial constraints of the consumers brought about by inflationary pressures, has made the provision of good quality and yet cost effective health care services a rarity (Lighter & Fair, 2004). Since the fact that cost containment may lead to the deterioration in the quality of any product and / or service, it has been difficult to curtail the rising cost of health related services, thus further pushing the healthcare delivery system into an urgent need for revival. The improvement in health care is sought on various fronts by various institutions. This includes provision of affordable and cost-effective health care; seeking professional accountability; fairness and justice; equal treatment and elimination of racial bias etc among others. Efforts directed at quality improvement and performance management have been initiated by various institutions since several decades, and has found large scale acceptance within the American health care industry. The emphasis of these institutions is mainly on improving the organizational structure and management systems in healthcare services sector; policies directed at improving better management of organizational resources to improve quality; and other similar conventional methods. However, the performance measures adopted by the health care industry needs to be completely revamped, by adopting a new philosophy of quality improvement. Improving Professional Accountability: “The practice patterns of individual clinicians are fundamental determinants of the quality, ethical standards, and cost effectiveness of health services” Logan & Scott, 1996, Pp. 595 Professionalism in health care plays a key role in the provision of good quality health care services to the consumers. It ensures excellence in service delivery, and improvement in performance, and hence the healthcare practitioners must display utmost professionalism and accountability in their practice, by avoiding professional misconduct; disparity in offering treatment to patients based on their socio-cultural or socio-economic backgrounds; or discrimination on the basis of gender (Booyens, 1999). Eliminating differential access to healthcare: Currently access to healthcare is highly disparate across various socio-cultural groups. Such setbacks, act as a hindrance to the provision of good quality healthcare services, and restrict the performance of the sector. Active steps must be taken to overcome such barriers, in order to avoid delays in prompt medical assistance which may lead to adverse health outcomes. Proper policies must be implemented to ensure that optimum medical assistance is provided across all primary health care systems, and issues related to lack of access to health insurance must be addressed, to avoid negative repercussions (Williams, 2007). Conclusion: Health care institutions today are burdened with the huge responsibility to improve their service delivery and management. Continuous quality improvement in healthcare, by way of various quality indicators, such as TQM (Total quality management) or CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) etc., can play a key role in achieving a well organized and well structured management system, which entail active involvement of healthcare personnel in all aspects of planning and development, with a view to cater to the changing needs and demands of this highly competitive industry. As service providers across all sectors adopt, develop and implement novel service and quality improvement practices, the health care industry too must adapt to the changing environment, and bring about significant transformations in its organizational structure right from the decision making process to the manner in which the policies are developed and implemented. Change is inevitable and in present times, a fundamental element of healthcare environment, hence it is imperative for the healthcare providers to improve quality and implement effective performance management measures to sustain their competitive positioning in this rapidly evolving industry. References: Booyens, S. W., (1998). Dimensions of nursing management, Juta & Company Publication, Pp. 599-600 Lighter, D. E., Fair, D. C., (2004). Quality management in health care: principles and methods, Jones & Bartlett learning Publication, Pp. 1-5 Logan & Scott (1996) in Parsley, K., Corrigan, P., (1999). Quality improvement in healthcare: Putting evidence into practice, Nelson Thornes Publication, Pp. 1 Shavers, V. L., Shavers, B. S., (2006). Racism and health inequity among Americans, Journal of National Medical Association; March 2006, 98 (3), Pp. 386-396 Williams, R. A., (2007). Eliminating healthcare disparities in America: Beyond the IOM report, Springer Publication, Pp. 209-211 Healthcareproblems.org (2011). Health care statistics [Online] Available at: http://www.healthcareproblems.org/health-care-statistics.htm [Accessed: November 13th, 2011] Msnbc, (2010). Number of uninsured Americans hits record high [Online] Available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39215770/ns/health-health_care/t/number-uninsured-americans-hits-record-high/#.TsFtFfQr2so [Accessed: November 13, 2011] Read More