Improving Hospital Care, Case Study Example

To improve efficiency and patient care in the hospital, itis important to have specific professionals on the task force. A representative from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would identify potential health hazards and safety regulations, and may have suggestion of policies and procedures to benefit patients and staff.An accountant and an attorney, who specialize in the safety and economic issues of healthcare,could be a huge financial asset to the task force. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers should elect representatives to ensure that their working environments allow them to meet the patients’ needs. Case managers and social workers would advocate for patients to help them receive proper care. Others who would benefit the task force would be representatives from human resources, quality improvement, board members, and specialists in information technology (IT). It would also be beneficial to have representatives from other staff, such as dining and housekeeping.

Establishing standardized outcome assessment methods can focus hospital workers and assist them in delivering optimal patient care. The attorney and the accountant will be able to help the hospital clearly define their budget first. The human resource department must hire quality people whocare about patients and follow rules, such as hand-washing.A system should be available where errors can be reported anonymously and without penalty. This is not to punish the offender, rather to ensure patient safety. Quality indicators which can measure success include reduced rate of infections and fewer corrective surgical procedures. Financial indicators can include cash-flow and expenses as a percentage of gross revenues. Service indicators can include surveys for patients to rate their experience and the quality of care they received. It is also important that regular anonymous surveys be conducted by the staff to ensure their satisfaction with their work environment. For example, hospital staff requires the proper materials, such as sterilized surgical equipment, in order to do their jobs. To remedy the hygiene problem is to consider the use of video cameras in bathrooms and work areas. Not only would the video cameras increase safety, but they would also be able to pinpoint those employees who would not engage in proper sanitation. This may be a financial investment, but the amount of money saved on treating preventable infections would compensate.

References

Meyer, J., Silow-Carroll, S., Kutyla, T., Stepnick, L., &Rybowski, L. (2004). Hospital quality: Ingredients for success – overview and lessons learned. The Commonwealth Fund, 1-40.