NAME:BALA ABDULLAHI TASIU

MATRIC NUMBER: LCU/PG/006225

COURSE CODE: HIM 714

COURSE TITLE: HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT

Discuss the important of patient safety and quality improvement in health care system

ANSWER

Healthcare Quality Improvement and Patient Safety refer to the systematic and

continuous efforts to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of healthcare

services delivered to patients. It involves a range of activities aimed at preventing

errors, reducing harm, and improving patient outcomes..

More than 40 years ago, Donabedian proposed measuring the quality of health care by

observing its structure, processes, and outcomes. Structure measures assess the

accessibility, availability, and quality of resources, such as health insurance, bed

capacity of a hospital, and number of nurses with advanced training. Process measures

assess the delivery of health care services by clinicians and providers, such as using

guidelines for care of diabetic patients. Outcome measures indicate the final result of

health care and can be influenced by environmental and behavioral factors. Examples

include mortality, patient satisfaction, and improved health status.

Twenty years later, health care leaders borrowed techniques from the work of Deming

in rebuilding the manufacturing businesses of post-World War II Japan. Deming, the

father of Total 3-2 Quality Methods, Benchmarking Quality Management (TQM),

promoted “constancy of purpose” and systematic analysis and measurement of

process steps in relation to capacity or outcomes. The TQM model is an

processes, systems thinking, and change to create an environment for improvement.

This approach incorporated the view that the entire organization must be committed to

quality and improvement to achieve the best results.

In health care, continuous quality improvement (CQI) is used interchangeably with

TQM. CQI has been used as a means to develop clinical practice30 and is based on

the principle that there is an opportunity for improvement in every process and on

every occasion. Many inhospital quality assurance (QA) programs generally focus on

issues identified by regulatory or accreditation organizations, such as checking

documentation, reviewing the work of oversight committees, and studying

credentialing processes. There are several other strategies that have been proposed for

improving clinical practice. For example, Horn and colleagues discussed clinical

practice improvement (CPI) as a “multidimensional outcomes methodology that has

direct application to the clinical management of individual patients. CPI, an approach

lead by clinicians that attempts a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of

health care delivery, uses a team, determines a purpose, collects data, assesses

findings, and then translates those findings into practice changes. From these models,

management and clinician commitment and involvement have been found to be

essential for the successful implementation of change.

From other quality improvement strategies, there has been particular emphasis on the

need for management to have faith in the project, communicate the purpose, and

empower staff.

In the past 20 years, quality improvement methods have “generally emphasize[d] the

importance of identifying a process with less-than-ideal outcomes, measuring the key

the redesigned approach with the process, and reassessing performance to determine if

the change in process is successful. Besides TQM, other quality improvement

strategies have come forth, including the International Organization for

Standardization ISO 9000, Zero Defects, Six Sigma, Baldridge, and Toyota

Production System/Lean Production.

Quality improvement is defined “as systematic, data-guided activities designed to

bring about immediate improvement in health care delivery in particular settings. A

quality improvement strategy is defined as “any intervention aimed at reducing the

quality gap for a group of patients representative of those encountered in routine

practice.

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)

Quality improvement projects and studies aimed at making positive changes in health

care processes to effecting favorable outcomes can use the Plan-Do-Study-Act

(PDSA) model. This is a method that has been widely used by the Institute for

Healthcare Improvement for rapid cycle improvement. One of the unique features of

this model is the cyclical nature of impacting and assessing change, most effectively

accomplished through small and frequent PDSAs rather than big and slow ones,

before changes are made systemwide.

The purpose of PDSA quality improvement efforts is to establish a functional or

causal relationship between changes in processes (specifically behaviors and

capabilities) and outcomes.

Six Sigma, originally designed as a business strategy, involves improving, designing,

and monitoring process to minimize or eliminate waste while optimizing satisfaction

and increasing financial stability. The performance of a process—or the process

capability—is used to measure improvement by comparing the baseline process

capability (before improvement) with the process capability after piloting potential

solutions for quality improvement. There are two primary methods used with Six

Sigma. One method inspects process outcome and counts the defects, calculates a

defect rate per million, and uses a statistical table to convert defect rate per million to

a σ (sigma) metric. This method is applicable to preanalytic and postanalytic

processes (a.k.a. pretest and post-test studies). The second method uses estimates of

process variation to predict process performance by calculating a σ metric from the

defined tolerance limits and the variation observed for the process. This method is

suitable for analytic processes in which the precision and accuracy can be determined

by experimental procedures.

One component of Six Sigma uses a five-phased process that is structured,

disciplined, and rigorous, known as the define, measure, analyze, improve, and

control (DMAIC) approach.

To begin, the project is identified, historical data are reviewed, and the scope of

expectations is defined. Next, continuous total quality performance standards are

selected, performance objectives are defined, and sources of variability are defined.

As the new project is implemented, data are collected to assess how well changes

improved the process. To support this analysis, validated measures are developed to

determine the capability of the new process.

Six Sigma and PDSA are interrelated.

Application of the Toyota Production System—used in the manufacturing process of

Toyota cars57—resulted in what has become known as the Lean Production System

or Lean methodology. This methodology overlaps with the Six Sigma methodology,

but differs in that Lean is driven by the identification of customer needs and aims to

improve processes by removing activities that are non-value-added (a.k.a. waste).

Steps in the Lean methodology involve maximizing value-added activities in the best

possible sequence to enable continuous operations. This methodology depends on

root-cause analysis to investigate errors and then to improve quality and prevent

similar errors. Physicians, nurses, technicians, and managers are increasing the

effectiveness of patient care and decreasing costs in pathology laboratories,

pharmacies, and blood banks by applying the same principles used in the Toyota

Production System. Two reviews of projects using Toyota Production System

methods reported that health care organizations improved patient safety and the

quality of health care by systematically defining the problem; using root-cause

analysis; then setting goals, removing ambiguity and workarounds, and clarifying

responsibilities. When it came to processes, team members in these projects

developed action plans that improved, simplified, and redesigned work processes.

System method was used to make the “following crystal clear: which patient gets

which procedure (output); who does which aspect of the job (responsibility); exactly

which signals are used to indicate that the work should begin (connection); and

precisely how each step is carried

Root cause analysis (RCA), used extensively in engineering and similar to critical

incident technique, is a formalized investigation and problem-solving approach

focused on identifying and understanding the underlying causes of an event as well as

potential events that were intercepted. The Joint Commission requires RCA to be

performed in response to all sentinel events and expects, based on the results of the

RCA, the organization to develop and implement an action plan consisting of

improvements designed to reduce future risk of events and to monitor the

effectiveness of those improvements.

RCA is a technique used to identify trends and assess risk that can be used whenever

human error is suspected with the understanding that system, rather than individual

factors, are likely Quality Methods, Benchmarking

the root cause of most problems. A similar procedure is critical incident technique,

where after an event occurs, information is collected on the causes and actions that led

to the event. An RCA is a reactive assessment that begins after an event,

retrospectively outlining the sequence of events leading to that identified event,

charting causal factors, and identifying root causes to completely examine the event.

Because it is a labor-intensive process, ideally a multidisciplinary team trained in

RCA triangulates or corroborates major findings and increases the validity of

findings. Taken one step further, the notion of aggregate RCA (used by the Veterans

Affairs (VA) Health System) is purported to use staff time efficiently and involves

several simultaneous RCAs that focus on assessing trends, rather than an in-depth

case

assessment.Using a qualitative process, the aim of RCA is to uncover the underlying

cause(s) of an error by looking at enabling factors (e.g., lack of education), including

(e.g., two patients in the hospital with the same last name) that contributed to or

enabled the adverse event (e.g., an adverse drug event).

Those involved in the investigation ask a series of key questions, including what

happened, why it happened, what were the most proximate factors causing it to

happen, why those factors occurred, and what systems and processes underlie those

proximate factors. Answers to these questions help identify ineffective safety barriers

and causes of problems so similar problems can be prevented in the future. Often, it is

important to also consider events that occurred immediately prior to the event in

question because other remote factors may have contributed.

The final step of a traditional RCA is developing recommendations for system and

process improvement(s), based on the findings of the investigation.68 The importance

of this step is supported by a review of the literature on root-cause analysis, where the

authors conclude that there is little evidence that RCA can improve patient safety by

itself.
NAME:BALA ABDULLAHI TASIU

MATRIC NUMBER: LCU/PG/006225

COURSE CODE: HIM 719

COURSE TITLE: COMPUTER APPLICATION IN

INFORMATION SYSTEM

ASSIGNMENT

Specific computer application in Information System

ANSWER

An information system is a group of data sets that ensures that business operates

smoothly, embracing change, and helping companies achieve their goal. The

dictionary defines an information system as a computer system or set of components

for collecting, creating, storing, processing and distributing information. The

information system is incomplete without the support of information technology (IT)

systems.

An information system is not primarily associated with technology or IT system.

Instead, it is related to how technology is used to fulfil the needs of- individuals,

groups or organizations. In the digital era that we are in, the importance of

information systems is increasing because it standardizes the process of passing,

collecting, storing, and accessing information or data for individuals or businesses.

There are different types of information systems that help individuals and companies

to use the information to their benefit. In the succeeding part of the article, we will

discuss various types of information systems in detail.

Although many information systems offer various benefits, typically, businesses use

these five applications in their company. Whichever information system you plan to

implement in your business, here are the benefits it will offer:

1. It will induce innovation in business activities through its research and

development.

2. It will enable automation, reducing steps undertaken to complete a task.

3. It helps keep the hardware, software, data storage, and networking system safe and

up to date.

Application that yields the power to change the business process- types of information

systems.

What Are The Types Of Information Systems?

1. Knowledge Work System

There are different knowledge management systems that an organization implements

to ensure a continuous flow of new and updated knowledge into the company and its

processes. A knowledge work system (KWS) is one of the knowledge management

systems that ease the integration of new information or knowledge into the business

process.

Furthermore, KWS also offers support and resources to various knowledge creation

techniques, artificial intelligence applications, and group collaboration systems for

knowledge sharing, among others. It also uses graphics, visuals, etc., to disseminate

new information. Below are some of the applications that work on the core

fundamentals of KWS.\

Designers often use computer-aided design systems (CAD) to automate their design

process.
Financial workstations are used to analyze huge amounts of financial data with the

help of new technologies.

Virtual reality systems are found in the scientific, education, and business fields for

using graphics and different systems to present data.

2. Management Information System

The management information system provides aid to managers by automating

different processes that were initially done manually. Business activities like business

performance tracking and analysis, making business decisions, making a business

plan, and defining workflow. It also provides feedback to the managers by analyzing

the roles and responsibilities.

A management information system is considered a significant application that helps

managers immensely. Here are some of the advantages of the information system:

It enhances the efficiency and productivity of the company

It provides a clear picture of the organization’s performance

It adds value to the existing products, introduces innovation and improves product

development

It assists in communication and planning for business processes

It helps the organization provide a competitive advantage

3. Decision Support System

A decision support system is an information system that analyses business data and

other information related to the enterprise to offer automation in decision-making or

problem-solving. A manager uses it in times of adversities arising during the

operation of the business. Generally, the decision support system is used to collect

information regarding revenue, sales figures or inventory. It is used across different

industries, and the decision support system is a popular information system.

An office automation system is an information system that automates different

administrative processes like documenting, recording data, and office transactions,

among others. The office automation system is divided into managerial and clerical

activities. Here are some of the business activities that are done under this type of

information system:

5. Transaction Processing System

The transaction processing system automates the transaction collection, modification,

and retrieval process. The peculiar characteristic of this type of information system is

that it increases the performance, reliability and consistency of business transactions.

It helps businesses perform daily operations smoothly without hassle.

Once you are well-versed with different types of information systems, understanding

the application of these systems becomes easy to comprehend. Therefore, in the last

part of the article, we will look into applying information systems.

6. Executive Support System

An Executive Support System or ESS helps top-level executives to plan and control

workflow and make business decisions. It is very similar to Management Information

System or MIS.