Introduction to the Healthcare Quality Management

 

Introduction to the Healthcare quality management & National Accreditation Board for Hospitals

Basic Concept of Quality:

Quality is a very important part of life today. It is important to be able to effectively compete in business both manufacturing and service, it plays a very important role in ensuring the safety of consumers.There are three basic elements in a quality system: Quality Management, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance.In simplest terms, quality refers to the characteristics of the product or services that at least meet the customer expectations. This brings into focus that the definitions of quality keeps changing, what was considered good quality some time ago may no longer be the expectation today.

Lets understand with the simple example: The mobile phone was meant to make and receive calls even when a person was outside the home or office or travelling. But today a mobile phone has more uses than that. Today people wants smartphones that can be used as banking, camera, transection,shopping and more.

Hence quality is evolving concept and the product and service provider needs to keep evolving their offer to keep up with quality expectations of their customers.

What is Quality management?

Quality management is the act of overseeing all activities and tasks that aims to continuous improvement in the products and services that are provided to customers. According to the "AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY'' the goal of quality management in any industry is to achieve maximum customers satisfaction, improve patient satisfaction, manage patient safety,healthcare quality, quality improvement, reduce medical errors, improve quality of life, manage health care organization,   at the lowest overall cost to the organization.

Quality management in hospitals is necessary to avoid the misuse, underuse or overuse of services provided.

Quality management in health care works to reduce errors and improve patient care. The safety and effectiveness of treatment are two of the most critical measures of quality.

Manager's role in Healthcare Quality  Process?

Manager plays a very important role in the implementation of quality processes in any organization. Managers have to deeply believe in the quality processes adopted by the organization. Only then they can influence their associates to commit to the quality process and procedures.

Communication skills are very vital skills for an effective manager. A manager needs to communicate to his employees. The manager is in the best position to explain the necessity of successful implementation of quality management programs, risk management, maintain healthcare systems, improve patients outcomes,improve quality of care, ensure optimal equipment supplies, and provide every detail to his employees. Patient-centered care focuses on the patient and the individual's particular health care needs. The goal of patient-centered health care is to empower patients to become active participants in their care. 

Types of Quality management tools

Types of Quality management tools which is use in the hospitals and healthcare orgnisation by the quality departments  help monitor and manage their quality initiatives. There are several types of quality tools.

1. Flowcharts

2. Checksheet

3. Cause and effect diagram(fishbone)

4. Pareto Analysis

5. Histograms

6. Scatter Diagram

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers & QCI

QCI was set up in 1997 as an autonomous body by the goverment of India jointly with the Indian industry to establish and operates the national accreditation structure for conformity assessment bodies. Indian industry is represented in QCI by 3 premier industry association ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI, QCI is also assigned the task of monitering and adminitering the national quality campaign and to oversee effective functioning of the National information and enquiry services.

To realise the objective of improving quality competitiveness of Indian products and services, QCI  provides strategic direction to the quality movement in the country by establishing recognition of Indian conformity assessment system at the international level.

ABOUT NABH

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS(NABH) is a constituent board of Quality council of India , set up to establish and operate accreditation progremme for the healthcare orgnisation. The board is structured to cater to the much desired needs of the consumers to set benchmarks for the progress of the industry. NABH aims at streamlining the entire operations of a hospital.NABH is equivalent to JCI and other International standards including, Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, the Japan Council for Quality in Health Care and the National Committee for Quality Assurance in the United States. Its standards have been accredited by ISQUA the apex body accrediting the accreditations hence making NABH accreditation at par with the world's most leading hospital accreditation.

Quality Policy

To continuously improve our quality system and processes through involving all our employees with focus on improving patient safety and patient satisfaction.

 

Mission

To operate accreditation and allied programs in collab with stakeholder focussing on Patient safety  and quality of healthcare based upon nation, international standards through process of self and external evaluation.

Standards

1.   Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care

2.   Care of Patients (COP)

3.   Management of Medication (MOM)

4.   Patient Rights and Education (PRE)

5.   Hospital Infection Control (HIC)

6.   Continual Quality Improvement (CQI)

7.   Responsibilities of Management (ROM)

8.   Facility Management and Safety (FMS)

9.   Human Resource Management (HRM)

10. Information Management System (IMS)