Effective Practices in Improving the Quality of Healthcare
Millions of patients and their families place their lives in the hands of medical professionals on a daily basis. These medical events range in severity from a simple cut or sprain to a major surgery and everything in between. Although many people view medical facilities as safe and free of risk, that is not the case. The quality of healthcare that the average patient receives is usually exactly what they were expecting and to the best of the physicians ability. However, there are times when errors or mistakes are made that result in serious complications. Unfortunately, many people experience a problem and it sometimes leads to death or serious injury. In May 2005, Elizabeth Weiss wrote, "As many as 98,000 Americans still die each year because of medical errors despite an unprecedented focus on patient safety over the last five years, according to a study released today."1 This is not the only source that exhibits such a large number. "The mortality resulting from medical errors each year in the United States is estimated to be between 44,000 and 98,000accounting for more deaths than from motor vehicle crashes, breast cancer, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome."2 These staggering statistics have driven the American medical industry (hospitals, nursing homes, doctor 's offices, etc.) and the patients they treat to focus their efforts on improving the quality of their services. It is important for patients to be educated about their medical needs and the costs associated with them. It is equally important for medical professionals to observe the importance of providing quality care. The possibilities of medical mistakes are endless, but there are specific tools available to help improve the quality of healthcare in our country and around the world.
Many sources categorize healthcare quality problems into one of three categories: underuse, overuse, and misuse. The Institute of Medicine 's National Roundtable on Health Care Quality was a gathering of
Many sources categorize healthcare quality problems into one of three categories: underuse, overuse, and misuse. The Institute of Medicine 's National Roundtable on Health Care Quality was a gathering of
Cited: 1. Weiss, Elizabeth. "Medical errors still claiming many lives". USA Today May 18, 2005. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-05-17-medical-errors_x.htm 2. Gostin, Lawrence 3. Chassin, Mark, Robert Galvin, and the National Roundtable on Health Care Quality. "The urgent need to improve health care quality." Journal of the American Medical Association September 16, 1998. Vol. 280, No. 11: 1000-1005. 4. Vedantam, Shankar. "Surgical expertise, undone by error." Washington Post February 24, 2003. A1. 7. Szabo, Liz. "Patient, protect thyself." USA Today February 5, 2007. 8D. 13. Abel, Barbara. "Six Sigma Program Takes Aim at Medical Errors." Medical College of Wisconsin HealthLink. June 27, 2003. 16. Panchak, Patricia. "Lean Health Care? It Works!" Industry Week Magazine November 1, 2003. http://www.industryweek.com/CurrentArticles/Asp/articles.asp?ArticleId=1503 17. Berg, Marc, Wim Schellekens, and Ce Bergen 18. Ryals, Jimmy. "Hospital takes aim at superbug." The Daily Reflector. November 8, 2007. 21. "Editorial: Share goal – Federal grant furthers PCMH mission." The Daily Reflector. November 21, 2007. 28. Thompson, Thomas G. "Quality is in our hands." Modern Healthcare Online. Posted July 30, 2007. http://www.modernhealthcare.com 29. "Making Quality Count." Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality