Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Preparation
Draft a 6-page report on outcome measures, issues, and opportunities for the executive leadership team or applicable stakeholder group.
Your executive summary captured the attention and interest of the executive leadership team, who have asked you to provide them with a detailed report addressing outcome measures and performance issues or opportunities, including a strategy for ensuring that all aspects of patient care are measured.
Requirements- organize paper sections by addressing each bullet point below.
systemic problem addressed in the gap paper was increased patient falls.
Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the Outcome Measures, Issues, and Opportunities Scoring Guide. Be sure that your written analysis addresses each point, at a minimum. You may also want to read the Outcome Measures, Issues, and Opportunities Scoring Guide and Guiding Questions: Outcome Measures, Issues, and Opportunities (linked in the Resources) to better understand how each criterion will be assessed.Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
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Drafting the Report
- Analyze organizational functions, processes, and behaviors in high-performing health care organizations or practice settings and identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing information, areas of uncertainly (where further information could improve the analysis).
- Determine how organizational functions, processes, and behaviors support and affect outcome measures for an organization, & identifies assumptions and reasons on which determination is based as associated with the systemic problem identified in your gap analysis (increased patient falls).
- Identify the quality and safety outcomes and associated measures relevant to the performance gap (increased patient falls) you intend to close and evaluates the quality of the data. Create a spreadsheet showing the outcome measures. See attachment for spreadsheet example.
- Identify performance issues or opportunities associated with particular organizational functions, processes, and behaviors and the quality and safety outcomes they affect, & identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing information, areas of uncertainty.
- Outline a strategy, using a selected change model, for ensuring that all aspects of patient care are measured and that knowledge is shared with the staff, highlighting opportunities for interprofessional collaboration.
Writing and Supporting Evidence
- Write coherently and with purpose, for a specific audience, using correct grammar and mechanics.
- Integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.
Additional Requirements
Format your document using APA style.
- Use the APA paper template linked in the resources. Be sure to include:
- A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
- A running head on all pages.
- Appropriate section headings.
- Properly-formatted citations and references.
- Your report should be 6 pages in length, not including the title page and reference page.
- Add your Quality and Safety Outcomes spreadsheet to your report as an addendum. Example attached.
attached: Paper directions, grading guide, suggested resources, and example of an outcomes spreadsheet
Outcome measures of issues and the creation of opportunities to improve the quality of care for the patients is an important undertaking in any healthcare organization as this determines the performance and growth of the concerned organization (Leggat et al., 2011). High performing organizations have been associated with having applied proper methodologies that align with their goals and mission to measure the patient perception towards the care that they receive, and in this process, they identify the underlying issues for improvement and at the same time they seize the opportunities that may arise for the betterment of the services that they provide. Outcome measure is thus a central element when it comes to patient care management and can greatly dictate the organization performance (Chung, et al., 2014). The executive leadership and other key groups within the organization should ensure that there exists a proper guideline for patient outcome measures and issues arising from the measures are acted upon and opportunities are grabbed whenever they present within the course. This report will focus on outcome measures, issues, and opportunities in high performing healthcare organizations concerning patient falls.Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Analysis of Organizational Functions, Processes, And Behaviors in High-Performing Health Care Organizations
The healthcare sector is always coupled with dynamics of change and thus requires constant adaptation to the changes as they present themselves to ensure that an organization under this sector keeps up with the pace that the dynamics dictate. As such, organizational functions, processes, and behaviors in high-performing health care organizations become vital in the everyday patient care management and quality of services within the organization. High-performing health care organizations tend to adopt certain measures within their functionality that assist them in identifying the knowledge gap and what actions can lead to filling the identified gaps (Leggat et al., 2011). In this regard, safety and risk management, quality processes, interprofessional collaboration, and leadership practice become key elements for the achievement of outcome measures of issues and the creation of opportunities to improve the quality of care for the patients. This as well ensures the organization’s growth and competitiveness across the healthcare sector (Schmid, 2018).
In relation to the issue of patient falls, healthcare facilities have been grappling with this patient care problem associated with unplanned descent to the floor with or without injury to the patient (McConnell, 1998). About 40-80% of patient falls, especially in elderly patients in health care facilities can be anticipated and therefore, this can be preventable if proper measures are put in place to curb this indecent occurrence. The increased patient falls is an underlying issue with high-performing facilities which continue to be ignored but a situation which has a great negative effect on the patient’s safety and quality care (Tzeng & Yin, 2008). leadership practice, quality assessment, and interprofessional collaboration are the three key areas which healthcare facilities should adopt in the quest for the management of patient falls, as well as assist in developing strategies to measure patient outcomes, identify issues that lead to patient falls and as well, seize the opportunities that may arise from the same either to reduce or eliminate such occurrences (Santana & Feeny, 2014). The high-performing healthcare organizations tend to concentrate more on the patient economical benefit and sometimes may tend to ignore the patient measurable outcomes which are a key in decision-making geared towards resolving critical issues and creating opportunities for effective application for change (Leggat et al., 2011). Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
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How Organizational Functions, Processes, And Behaviors Support and Affect Outcome Measures for An Organization in Relation to Increased Patient Falls
Outcome measures may vary from one organization to the other. These depend on several elements key among them being the organizational functions, processes, and behaviors associated with the organization. The organizational functions, processes, and behaviors are what constitute the organizational culture and as such, organizational efforts such as leadership practices may greatly determine the specific functions within the organization. The processes may be determined by the quality assessment efforts while the behaviors may be influenced by efforts such as team work collaboration (Interprofessional collaborations) (Ohde, et al., 2012). Outcome measures assist you in identifying the strengths and weaknesses and the efforts needed to attain certain identified outcomes (Chung, et al., 2014). Organizational function may affect outcome measures through organizations leadership and management. Definitions of metrics to be used to measure a certain outcome is developed by the leadership of the organization in collaboration with the relevant departments. In the case of patient falls, the leadership should develop measurable outcomes through metrics obtained from the in-patient department of nursing, which handles the data of the frequency of such occurrences (Spetz, et al; 2007). The functions of such department in data provision and patient contact and observation is crucial in the processes of developing metrics for measuring the outcomes of the increased patient falls in a given health facility (Chung, et al., 2014).
On the other hand, concerning the organizational processes, efforts such as quality assessment can clearly define and affect the outcome measures in an organization (Santana & Feeny, 2014). Quality assessment in a healthcare setting involves an all-round inspection of the human processes, the equipment’s used, availability of policy and standards, as well as patient recovery process and level of care. Therefore, all these processes have a great effect on the outcome measures which in our case concerns the increased patient falls. About the organizational behavior, these are the conducts that affect the functionality of the different processes within an organization. It is largely associated with the organization culture with the interdependent of the various departments within the organization. prevention of falls for the patients requires a multidisciplinary approach that will enable a safe environment for the patient and reduce injuries related to falls (Ohde, et al., 2012). As such, interprofessional collaboration through culturalization of the organization has a great effect as part of the organization behavior in the determination of outcome measures.
The Quality and Safety Outcomes and Associated Measures Relevant to The Increased Patient Falls
Increased patients fall largely emanates from hitches on quality and safety measures applied by the health care organizations. The quality and safety outcomes are therefore relevant in the data interpretation and collection concerning the level of patient falls in a given facility. There should be proper utilization of safety and quality tools for measuring the outcomes in terms of quantification for the healthcare processes, patient perceptions, organizational structure, and systems, as well as outcomes, that are associated with goals and quality of health care provision (Tzeng & Yin, 2008). Ensuring that there is a proper system that captures the data on the frequency of the patient falls is vital as this will be able to be utilized on the measures derived from the outcomes to curb this indecent occurrence (Tzeng & Yin, 2008).
Patients falls mostly emanate from the ambulation related movements and this means they can be reduced or prevented if proper safety and quality measures are applied. To reduce the patient falls (Close the gap), healthcare organizations and the concerned caregivers must be able first to provide the patients with safety companions. This assists the patients in their movement avoiding struggle and strain that is often associated with the patient’s conditions when walking. Another measure is to identify high-risk patients that are more prone to falls. Patients with hand and leg injuries, those with hypotension (low blood pressure), heart diseases, and dementia are more at risk due to associated symptoms such as dizziness, poor vision and impairment. When these patients are identified, further safety measures can be observed such as increased close-care administration to avoid falls. On the other hand, safety-rounds are also another crucial measure to avoid patient fall outcomes (Spetz, et al; 2007). As such, the safety weak areas can be identified in earnest for necessary actions to prevent a possible fall. Finally, setting of bed alarms is also another quality and safety measure where patients who are struggling to get up or out of bed can alert the caregiver team for assistance and this greatly reduces the risk emanating from poor communication and lack of proper walk assistance when need be (Tzeng & Yin, 2008).Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Performance Issues or Opportunities Associated with Particular Organizational Functions, Processes, And Behaviors and The Quality and Safety Outcomes They Affect
There exists performance issues or opportunities associated with particular organizational functions, processes, and behaviors and the quality and safety outcomes they affect when it comes to patient falls. Leadership, proper management and resource allocation can be key in dealing with patient falls and as such reduce the risks that accompany them. The participation and prevention of patient falls cuts across the board with obligations running from the organization, the healthcare professionals all the way to the individual patients.
For the organization, its obligation is to ensure that patients are taken care of in a safe and secure environment that is not compromised of health hazard. Ensuring that patient beds are safe, and the ambulation facilities are at close proximity can go along way in reducing the risk of falls (Spetz, et al; 2007). The patient- caregiver ratio is also a factor as this will introduce enough staff to assist those who may be in need of walk assistance. Setting of alarms with proximity to bed is also an important measure in reducing unnecessary movements which may lead to falls (Sullivan & Badros, 1999). Having a system that captures patient data on occurrences such as falls will greatly assist in improvement for the future.
On the other hand, healthcare professionals also hold obligation in ensuring that they exercise their professionalism within the establishments of the underlying guidelines and code of conduct under respective profession area (Tzeng & Yin, 2008). In such cases, the professionals are able to discharge duties accordingly in assisting the patient with proper and expected care and as well, collecting the important data for future use and advise on the areas that need improvement to reduce the patient fall occurrences and the realization of what contributes to this menace (Santana & Feeny, 2014).
Finally, the patient too has an obligation for their own safety as the facilities put in place such as alarms should be used properly and when absolutely necessary. Also, patients should take care of themselves too and they should heed to the professional advice, especially on movement restrictions to avoid more suffering caused by falls that may be preventable by obeying the set patient rules (Sullivan & Badros, 1999). Although patients with some underlying conditions and injuries to the legs and hands are known to be more prone to falls, minimal research exists on the effects of physical structures and organization recklessness in relation to the patient falls, thus calling for future research on the effects in these areas.Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Strategy Application, Change Model, Knowledge Sharing and Opportunities for Interprofessional Collaboration
Patient fall is an occurrence too often ignored but which in most cases deteriorates the already recovering or delicate patient health condition. As such, organizations should adopt a strategy that assist in the reduction of the patient falls, which would best be applied through a change model. In addition, all aspects of patient care should also be measured and that knowledge shared with the staff, highlighting the existing opportunities for interprofessional collaboration (Ohde, et al., 2012). Change models act as a guide into the implementation of changes right from inception through application to the evaluation stage. In our case for the increased patient falls, Lewis change model will be the best to apply as it creates first the urge or need for change, then moving towards the new, desired level of organizational behavior and finally, solidifying or fully adoption of that new behavior as the new way of doing things. The metrics through data collection is key in establishing the number of falls (Frequency), as well as the reasons behind these falls (Causes) (Santana & Feeny, 2014). Through change implementation, professionals will be trained on how to collect patient data and how to measure the aspects of patient care. The data and trends concerning the same will be shared among the relevant departments and professionals to enhance their collaborative approach in curbing the increased patient falls.
Conclusion
In a recap, outcome measures of issues provide the creation of opportunities, which eventually improves the quality of care. Proper data collection measures coupled with interprofessional collaboration is key in ensuring that patient falls are reduced to ensure the safety and quality of healthcare services to the patients. Sharing of knowledge is crucial as it promotes openness and collaboration among the professionals. Adoption of a change model is also vital in ensuring that the new measures are adopted and there is a standard approach that is adopted by the organization in resolving the underlying issues both at present and in the future.
References
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measurement invariance of the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system pain behaviors scores between the US general population sample and a sample of individuals with chronic pain. Quality of Life Research, 23(1), 239-44.Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Leggat, S. G., Bartram, T., & Stanton, P. (2011). High performance work systems: The gap
between policy and practice in health care reform. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 25(3), 281-97.
McConnell, E. A. (1998). Managing patient falls and wandering. Nursing Management, 29(8), 75.
Ohde, S., Terai, M., Oizumi, A., Takahashi, O., Deshpande, G. A., Takekata, M., . . . Fukui, T.
(2012). The effectiveness of a multidisciplinary QI activity for accidental fall prevention: Staff compliance is critical. BMC Health Services Research, 12, 197.
Santana, M., & Feeny, D. (2014). Framework to assess the effects of using patient-reported
outcome measures in chronic care management. Quality of Life Research, 23(5), 1505-13.
Schmid, B. (2018). Structured diversity: A practice theory approach to post- growth organisations.
Management Revue, 29(3), 281-310.
Sullivan, R. P., & Badros, K. K. (1999). Recognize risk factors to prevent patient falls. Nursing
Management, 30(5), 37-40.
Spetz, J., Jacobs, J., & Hatler, C. (2007). Cost effectiveness of a medical vigilance system to reduce
patient falls. Nursing Economics, 25(6), 333-8, 352.
Tzeng, H., & Yin, C. (2008). Nurses’ solutions to prevent inpatient falls in hospital patient
rooms. Nursing Economics, 26(3), 179-87.
59 -Outcome Measures, Issues, and Opportunities
Outcome measures, Issues, and opportunities directions grading guide
Outcome measures, Issues, and Opportunities