Test 1 Flashcards
Continuous improvement of healthcare services through the systematic eveluation of processes
Quality improvement (QI)
A set of philosophies, methods, and tools for continuously quality improvement factors (ex: Lean and Six Sigma programs)
Continuous quality improvement (CQI)
Professional performance standards that define activities in the areas of education, interpersonal relationships, personal, and professional self-assessment, and ethical behavior
Total quality management (TQM)
3 things quality improvement (QI) does
Decrease costs, increase efficiency
Increase customer satisfaction
Ensure quality throughout the healthcare organization
4 problems quality improvement (QI) responds to
Increased competition
Escalating costs
Quality concerns
Demands for increased accountability = know who’s responsible (ex: computer logins)
W.E. Deming’s 14 points of management
Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services
Adopt the new philosophy
Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality
End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier
Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service
Institute training on the job
Adopt and institute leadership
Drive out fear
Break down barriers between staff areas
Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce
Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management
Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system
Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone
Put everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation
An independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare settings
This accreditation is not required, but is desired by most healthcare organizations
Hospital may not receive reimbursement without accreditation (medicare)
The Joint Commission (TJC)
The totality of features and characteristics of a radiation therapy process that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs of patients
Quality
All those planned of systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality
Important in therapy because you need to hit the right spot (lasers lined up) with right dose
Quality assurance (QA)
Operational techniques and activities used to fulfill those requirements for quality (tests, procedures, etc.)
Ex: 9 penny test for congruence
Quality control (QC)
Type of radiation therapy in which a very few high doses of radiation are delivered to small, well-defined tumors
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
Measurable dimensions of quality that defines what is to be monitored; get from QA
Measurement tool used to evaluate an organization’s performance
Quality indicators (QI)
Systematic collection of data and QI encompasses the activities directed to improve the quality of a system by reducing the error or variation of that system (same as quality assurance)
Quality assessment (QA)
3 other names for quality improvement (QI)
Continuous quality improvement (CQI)
Continual improvement (CI)
Total quality management (TQM)
What is the daily quality indicators (QI) output?
3%
5 members of the quality improvement (QI) team (all personnel who interact with patients and families)
Staff physicians Physics (physicists, engineers, dosimetrists) Radiation therapists Oncology nursing Support staff
What is the responsibility of the staff physicians on the quality improvement (QI) team?
Do weekly chart rounds with dosimetrists, therapists, etc. to see if treatment plan has changed (boost) and needs re-simmed
Initial or images taken through treatment to make sure the right place is still being treated
Port film/portal image
What are the responsibilities of the physics team on the quality improvement (QI) team?
Equipment, weekly chart check
What are the responsibilities of the radiation therapists on the quality improvement (QI) team?
“Gatekeepers”; morning warmups, sim QA, verifying prescriptions
What are the responsibilities of the oncology nurses on the quality improvement (QI) team?
Evaluate physical and psychology of patients; education of patients (skin care, diet, etc.)
2 things TJC requires the medical directors to do
Make sure staff is qualified (trained, credentials)
Establishment and continuation of quality improvement (QI) plan
5 QA activities that are the responsibilities of members of the QA committee
Develop and monitor a QA program Collect and evaluate data Determine areas for improvement Implement change as necessary Evaluate results of actions taken
What is the goal, frequency, and reporting mechanism of developing and monitoring a QA program
Goal: oversee departmental peer-review activities
Frequency: ongoing
Reporting mechanism: QA committee meeting minutes