Question

1. How can data provide information to evaluate quality patient outcomes?

2. Give an example of data that can reflect poor quality in care.

3. How can quality improvement be a daily task in patient care?

4. Why does continuous quality improvement need to be associated with change?

Answer 1

1. How can data provide information to evaluate quality patient outcomes?

The datas collected in hospital about patient condition during admission , then the data throughout the period hospitalization and the patient's condition during discharge clearly potrait the quality of care given to the patient. Mortality and morbidity rates of the hospital , the success rates of surgeries, treatment modalities improvisation and the satisfaction data of patient provides information to evaluate the quality patient outcomes.Example: Electronic health records

2.Give an example of data that can reflect poor quality in care.

• Nosocomial infection rates in hospitalised patients
• Pressure ulcers in a bedridden patient after being hospitalised
• Falls in hospitals

These make the patient stay long in hospital increasing the expenses and also may lead to fatal outcomes sometimes. This reflect the poor quality of care provided.

3. How can quality improvement be a daily task in patient care?

Start using Plan-Do-Check-Act [PDCA] to analyse and find a way to solve the problems identified in patient care. Use histograms , pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams to priotize the needs and find a solution . IPSG International patient safety goals are to be followed. Practice doing charts for intake and output , pressure sores grading, TPR temperature pulse respiration charts . These all helps the early recovery of a patient as all the causes for deviation in health can be ruled out easily . So when quality improvement process is followed the quality of care is very much improved.

4. Why does continuous quality improvement need to be associated with change?

Quality improvement process keeps on changing because it evaluates the work an organisation and formulates ways for improving it. So continous monitoring is carried which outlines the necessary steps for improving the organisation.Continous monitoring portraits the defects clearly.