Quality Improvement and Safety in Healthcare Sector

Improvement is assumed to be the lifeblood of any organisation to make it function in an appropriate manner. Improving quality of health care services and medical facilities helps in improving the life expectancy rate and overall growth of people's healthcare. This sector has inelastic demand as it deals with healthcare of people, they agree to pay almost any amount for treatment of patients by which companies involved in this sector earn high amount of profits. Few examples of different industries present within healthcare sector are drug manufacturers, medical equipments, healthcare management, providing healthcare facilities etc. Improvement of quality and services is done by taking essential safety measures, improving communication system so that doctors are easily accessible and available for their patients at emergency hours. Techniques like hand sanitisation can be used   which includes use of soap and water to maintain hygiene,improvement in ways of operating (caesarean procedure).

In this report, analysis of the factors emphasizing on improving quality and improvement in healthcare sector are going to be discussed as they are considered as the most essential industry among all. Further this report explains about evidence base for the change in practice with the help of some benefits of using new and improved technology in healthcare sector. It can be said that these are related to healthcare sector but they do not influences the role of medical practitioner only (Middleton and et. al., 2013). This improvement also impacts positively over patients too. In  addition to this, various methodologies  are also going to be elaborated which are basically used by healthcare management for improving the skills and quality are explained in this report. It can be said that these methodology help medical practitioner to improving their working pattern with minimal chances of failure. As a result, it improves efficiency of quality treatment that is provided to patients in the hospital and other medical services.

MAIN BODY

Factors emphasis on quality measurement and improvement in healthcare sector.

With the changing world every industry is improving according to the needs and demand of the people. In relation to the healthcare industry, there have been many changes which took place with the passing time. These changes are related to every segment of the healthcare segment that is patients, stocks control, staff safety, food hygiene, hand hygiene etc. There are various safety measures on the basis of which healthcare sector have improved their services. Some of them are described as below:

Safety measure: Healthcare sector have evolved in very effective manner. In reaction to the safety measures improvement in this area includes safety for patients, hospital staff, medical practitioner etc. It can be said that, this industry had became more concerned about safety measures related to safety this helps in enhancing growth of industry as well.

Communication system: It has been evaluated that changes in communication have made work of communication more easier as with the help of this updated mode of communication organisation can easily communicate to its customers as well. It has been analysed that improved communication more have enhance level of security related to patient as well as attenders (Cunningham and et. al.,  2012). Along with this, it also resolves communication gap between healthcare employees and its colleagues. In addition to this, it has improves communication between third party, suppliers, medical providers etc.

Hand sanitisation: It is the new concept which have changed mindset of people that they always requires water and soap while cleaning their hands. With the help of hand sanitisation user can easily kill bacteria or germs of their hands. This improvement is not only beneficial for the healthcare sector but it is beneficial for normal people too. As many individual are already using it as the replacement of other hand wash.

Improvement in caesarean procedure: It has been analysed that in the past time medical staff of healthcare sector was specially using scissors for surgery but now a days it has replaced with the laser surgery. It can be said that this improvement in the process of technology is less time consuming procedure. Along with this, it also helps patient to recover quicker as operations are executed with less cuts which does not requires much time to be get recovered again.

As per the above stated areas where improvement has took place in the past areas, it can be said that there many of them were executed because of technological factor which have influenced process of healthcare sector. It has been analysed in the past years that technological factor have direct influence over the growth of the organisation belongs to every sector. But, in relation to the technology factor it has directly changed overall scenario of healthcare sector. As it has innovated many new tools and techniques which have simplified work of health care sector easier. For example: In the earlier time, medical practitioners were not having advance technology which stops them to perform their job responsibility in effective manner. It can be said that in earlier time medical staff were using scissors and other tools while conducting an operation whereas now a days with the help of advance technology similar kind of operations are done in less period of time (Taylor and et. al., 2014). It has been analysed that these operations are now taking less time to be recovered. Latest form of operations are popularly named as lasers which involves less ratio  of cuts. Therefore, it requires less time to get recovered appropriately.

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Apart from this, there have many changes which have completely changed overall scenario of the healthcare industry. It has been analysed that technology have not improved practices related to surgery or other medical practices but it plays essential role in communication sector too. Advance technology have improved mode of communication in the healthcare sector as with the help of this patients, their attenders, medical staff and other related person can easily communicate with each other and discuss their things with each other. It directly minimises the communication gap between patient and medical practitioner. As a result, it helps medical staff in providing best quality services to the patients.

Evidence base for the change in Healthcare sector

Benefits of New Technologies in Healthcare

(a) Digitalization of Health Records

The introduction of electronic health records brings a rapid change in healthcare industries. Almost all major healthcare professionals are using electronic health records rather than paper records. It will reduce all errors that arises when healthcare professionals uses paper records of a patient. Through this, it became easy for all hospitals in keeping their patients records like weights, age, name, billing details on a one centralised system. It helps hospitals in improving public health and in lowering healthcare costs. It generates ease of workflow environment among employees working in hospitals.

(b)Telehealth 

It is a technology through which an individual can take long distance clinical advise through telecommunications. It helps hospitals in improving their reach in rural areas and there will be a shorter waiting time period for patients. It also eases the pressure of employees working on a front desk in hospitals. The methods used in telehealth are video conferencing electronic consults and wireless communications. It is less expensive and more convenient for patients and provides immediate access to physicians (Nicolay and et. al., 2012). This technology in health and social care improves patients outcomes and satisfaction as compared to other technical methods.

(c) Time Saving

The use of new technologies or new equipments in hospitals save patients valuable time. For Instance, with the use of new quality equipments it has became easy for healthcare professionals to perform surgery in less time as compared to previous equipments used in surgery. It will also help employees working in various hospitals to do their work more effectively and efficiently. .

(d) More Job Openings:>

Healthcare technologies does not only impact patients and industries but also impacts various medical students who wants to be a healthcare professionals. Due to the impact of new technologies there is more job opening in healthcare industries. Now healthcares needs effective employees who knows how to operate new technical products in a productive manner.

(e) Safety and Security

The advancement in safety and security technology is also increases rapidly in a current healthcare industries environment. Previously operations in hospitals are considered unhygienic as compared to today because now doctors uses gloves and various other measures while performing an surgery. Now there are also lockers for patients and digital payment tools which prevents patients from theft and loss of cash or valuable products. It also helps hospitals in creating healthy and hygienic environment in healthcares.

(f) Innovative Products

The introduction of new innovative products helps both healthcare professionals and patients in resolving many previous for instance, in previous time X-ray, ECG reports takes around 2 or 3 days but due to new technical products, it has became easy for patients in getting these reports in less than two hours. It helps healthcare industries in improving its productivity with the helps of these advancement is technology (Kaplan and et. al., 2012)

So in this context, there are various advancement in healthcare technologies that brings a drastic change in healthcare industries which are efficient and effective for patients.

Methodology used in quality improvement in healthcare sector

According to the view point of McFadden and et. al., (2015). it can be said that improvement is necessarily required in every area of health care sector as it is directly related to life of people. Therefore, it is required by management team of healthcare sector to adapt various methodologies in order to provide best quality services to the patients. This will help them in improving health condition of the patient. It has been observed that now a days healthcare sector are especially focusing improving interior condition of hospital in terms of hygiene level, safety of staff members, communication system and various other related segments for the purpose of creating best class working environment at workplace. It can be said that by improving all of this factors health care  sector can easily develop better working environment for employees. Along with this, it will also avail hygiene environment to patient which contribute in their recovery of health conditions. As per evaluation it has been observed that quality safety environment attracts patient towards the hospital. In context to healthcare sector, it has been seen that management staff of this hospital to take some of the preventive methodology which will help them in improving quality and safety in the same sector industry. These methodologies are  described as below:

Six sigma approach of quality measurement mainly emphasis on improving overall quality  of organisation on the basis of different elements. Six sigma approach says that if all of these factor are improved then only organisation will be able to improve. Elements which are involved in six sigma are define opportunity, measure performance, analyse opportunity, improve performance and control performance. In relation to the healthcare sector, it can be said that it is important for the management team of this hospital to initially define the opportunity which is available for the organisation at market. After defining opportunity another element focuses measuring the performance of employees at workplace ion order to check that whether they are applicable to grab the opportunity or not. After this, another element also focuses on analysing opportunity in order to evaluate that how much improvement is required in the performance. Example: Hospitals who are using six sigma as its quality improvement methodologies are the only one where chances of operational failure is minimum.  According to this evaluation management team of the healthcare concentrate on improving the performance according to it only (Dixon-Woods, McNicol and Martin, 2012). At last, management team  focus on evaluating performance of employees in order to check that whether it is going in the right direction or it is required to be controlled. As per the overall description, it can be said that if all of the mentioned  elements goes well then only it can be improved. In relation to the health care sector, it can said that  it is important for the organisation to follow all elements of six sigma in order to improve their workplace equally. This helps in enhancing growth of the healthcare sector

TQM is a continuous improvement methodology which helps organisation to improve their at regular basis. This methodology directly emphasizes on improving overall environment of healthcare indus by involving each and  every related person in the quality improvement process. In relation to healthcare sector, this methodologies involves patients, working staff, visitors and other related person. With the help of this, management team often takes regular based feedback from the patient and other above mentioned people in order to  understand their views about services some of changes which are required by them at most. This approach is mainly based on  three principles that is customer focus, team work and continuous quality improvement. It can be said that by adopting these approaches healthcare sector can easily  improve its services along with the quality (Morello and et. al., 2013). 

Benchmarking and its implication refers to the continuous process of comparing performance of one individual with other one. This methodology is basically helps in understanding actual position of the organisation in comparison to other compared . In relation to healthcare sector, it is important for them to compare their status with related person. This will helps organisation in  understanding best practices which are used by the competitors belongs to the same industry. It works as the guiding tool for the  to involve various activities within the  in order to improve its existing practices. It has been observed that there are numerous of extra beneficial activities or practices which are adopted by the competitor  that works a driving tool or guidelines for operating to adapt the similar strategy to minimise the impact of overall those factors which are placing negative impression over the performances of organisation. In relation to Healthcare sector, management staff of the  can adopt this approach in order to improve its quality effectively. The main purpose of adopting this methodology in health care sector is to compare current method of improving with the competitor . So that effective measurement for improvement can be taken effectively (Spath, 2012). 

Findings and recommendation

As per the above mentioned discussion, it has been analysed that improvement is the best method of becoming successful. In relation to the healthcare industry, it can be said that medical practitioners belongs to this industry faces various kinds of problems problems in their working life. It has been observed that effective uses of advancement in the technology helps staff to perform their job responsibilities in appropriate manner. This can be said that improvement is the continuous process which can not be stopped. As every day some new thing is taking place in the same industry which helps people in executing their work in effective manner.

From the above specified discussion, it has been identified that from the past to the recent time, there have been lots of improvement which have been placed in the healthcare sector as the industry have completely accepted all the changes in the positive manner. Observance over the finding states that main improvement in the healthcare industry have been occurred because of technology. From this, it has been recommended to healthcare industry to adopt modern technology in health care industry like  x-ray machine, sonography machine, Citi scanner, MRI and some other advanced equipments which can be used by this industry in regular based working practices. It can be said that maximum uses of upgraded technology  in order to improve their current working practices. These stated technology helps in saving time of medical staff as well as patient. In addition to this, the specified recommendation also enhances profitability of the hospital too. As usage of this is quiet expensive but patients easily gets ready to pay for this because it gives them quick result (Dolansky and Moore, 2013).

Along with this, it can be said that these approaches are basically belongs to production department but by observing their effectiveness it has been recommended to the healthcare sector adopt these similar practices in minimising their ratio of failure in medical practices. Further, it can be said  that the above stated methodologies are beneficial for the industry as they are required to be implemented in every two months and further needs an appropriate revision in every six months according to changes which have took place in the same industry. It can be said that by doing this healthcare sector can improve its quality in effective manner which results in the growth of healthcare industry for less period of time.

CONCLUSION

As per the above mentioned report it has been concluded that continuous improvement is considered as the best way to avail quality services to the customers. As, it helps in saving life of many people who belongs itself suffers from diseases. In relation to healthcare sector, it is important for the individuals who are related to this sector to upgrade themselves according to changing technology in order to improve their working practises. This up gradation  helps medical staff to improve their working practices in effective manner. It has been that up gradation in technology have helped medical practitioner to operated their surgeries effectively with minimal chances of failure.

It has been analysed that advance technology is not only beneficial for medical but it also helps patients to get treated effectively in less period of time. In addition to this, it has been analysed quality improvement has not only been influenced because of technology but there are some more changes which have impact over the growth of this industry. It has been evaluated that there are many approaches which are adopted by organisation such as six sigma approach, benchmarking and total quality management. It has been founded that six sigma is the best approach that can be adopted by healthcare sector as it helps minimises number of operation failures. Six sigma approach says that if an medical practitioner is operating one million surgeries then their will be chances of failure only on one operation. As a result, it can be said that uses of six sigma approach is best for the healthcare sector in order to improve its quality in the same sector for long duration of time.

In addition to this, it has been seen that technology in healthcare sector is not only improving quality of their services which are offered to patients as well as other related person. But on the other hand, it generates some more opportunity for the companies as well. These benefits includes safety and security, enhancement in job opportunities, digitalization of health records, savage of time while communication, development of innovative products and telehealth as well. It has been identified that healthcare sector are now providing treatment to patients through telecommunication methods in emergency cases. This helps patient to get appropriate medical guidance in emergency cases. As a result, it contributes in minimising impact of illness over the patient because they are getting regular treatment from the medical staff at all the time.   Along with this, it has been identified that improvement in healthcare sector have enhanced efficiency of this industry which is now more powerful and capable of executing all job responsibility. Improvement in this sector  directly reduces chances of harm related to the health of the individuals. It has been analysed that with help of advance technology medical practitioners are providing effective services to the patients which contributes in securing their life as well.

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