Your team has been given the task of designing a post COVID-19 Quality Improvement (QI) Program for an acute care facility that is part of a large metropolitan healthcare system. Each acute care center in the system will “pitch†a QI program to the Board of the large metropolitan healthcare system. QI program proposals must include THREE potential QI projects that drive Plan Do Study Act cycles. The Board has requested that all teams follow the Model for Improvement. (Links to an external site.)
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Over the course of this week, your team must decide on three COVID-19 related QI projects that have the potential to positively impact patient health outcomes and/or nursing care. The goal is to design projects with the potential for the most impact.
The answers to the following questions for each one of the three COVID-19 related QI projects will be submitted to the Board by the Nurse Administrator:
1. What is the group trying to accomplish (AIM)?
The aim should be time-specific and measurable; it should also define the specific population of patients that will be affected.
2. How will the group know the change is an improvement?
Decide what your structure, process, or outcome measures will be. Describe which measures you selected for studying processes and outcomes of the intervention/change(s), including the rationale for choosing them. Identify who will be involved in the data collection.
3. What changes can the group make that will result in the improvements that are sought?
Identify at least two relevant change concepts and change ideas that will result in the improvement that the group is seeking. Please use the following document for reference: Using Change Concepts to Come Up with Ideas
Download Using Change Concepts to Come Up with Ideas from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Example
AIM
Reduce patient waiting time in the Emergency Room by 25% by January 25, 2021. (You should provide at least one source of evidence to support your planned change idea.)
MEASURES
- Current wait time will be measured and documented so there is a baseline from which to work. Measuring the wait time after implementation will allow the team to determine if there was a decrease in the wait time after the change.
- Wait time will be measured by the time of patient registration at the ER until the time a patient is evaluated by a provider, Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Physician Assistant (PA), or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP).
- Workflow forms will be developed to collect information related to waiting times. The ER charge nurse will be responsible for completing the forms and submitting them to the QI project lead.
CHANGE
Change Concept: Smooth workflow Change Idea: Implement direct bedding protocols. When there are four or more beds available in the ER, patients will not be triaged. Instead, they will be taken directly to a room for evaluation and treatment. When there are two or fewer beds available, a triage system will be in place. Direct bedding will resume when there are no patients waiting and there are 4 or more beds available.
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