By Anita Haridat, Ph.D
Throughout most health care organizations, there is a
strong desire to ensure that quality care is set into place with very high
standards. For leaders, this is a significant concept because there is an
ability to create a strong infrastructure even through a changing environment.
Unfortunately, based on an AHRQ survey that
was administered in 2010, very few hospital directors placed quality care as one
of their priorities. Without the push for patient safety, there is a strong
susceptibility that there can be an increase in accidents, adverse events, etc.
It is beneficial for leaders to speak with employees so that each person is
aware of the established guidelines that should be developed moving forward.
In
many cases, people tend to use the word safety and quality in an
interchangeable manner. Health care leaders should take the time to educate the
employees on the key differences. For example, the concept of safety refers to
an instance in which there is limited amount of harm. In turn, quality refers
to an instance where there are effective processes that are set into place so
that patients are treated and protected while they are undergoing care. Additionally,
safety refers to the avoidance of negative events while quality refers to
taking part of processes that are done with high standards.
When
organizational leadership can prioritize both patient safety and quality care,
there will be growing recognition for that specific facility. It is beneficial
for health care managers and administrators to ensure that patients are being
treated properly, but they should also address the needs of their employees as
well. This is an important task towards improving safety and facilitating a
monitoring process as time progresses. Overall, leadership can readily
influence safety and quality care by setting specific goals within an
organization. They should also create quarterly performance boards so that the
entire process can be ingrained in the actions of health care providers. With
applicable intervention, there is a strong chance that quality care standards
can increase so that patients are kept safe.
Leading Management Solutions helps medical
practice leaders identify ways to improve operations to increase revenue,
employee engagement, and patient satisfaction. Learn more about us at www.lmshealthpro.com.
About the Author:
Anita Haridat has her Ph.D in
healthcare/business administration and her master’s degree in clinical
nutrition. She has several publications in sources such as EGO Magazine,
Natural Awakenings Magazine, Syosset Patch, Our USA Magazine and many
more. Her passion for health and wellness has created multiple stepping
stones for paving the way of creating a positive well being. Her first book can
be found here:
