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Quality Improvement Projects in Health Care
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Quality Improvement Projects in Health Care
Problem Solving in the Workplace


December 1998 | 408 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
In the current atmosphere of closer scrutiny of healthcare practices and procedures, front-line managers and health care providers must investigate potential problems in their work environment, whether at the behest of upper management, in order to meet Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) standards, or through their own sense that "weÆre doing something wrong." For the investigator with limited previous experience in evaluation or research, the prospect of undertaking this kind of investigation can appear daunting, to say the least. Quality Improvement Projects in Health Care was written just for this individual. Author Eleanor Gilpatrick, a seasoned investigator and professor of health services administration, provides a review of the basic terminology and guidelines for carrying out "nuts-and-bolts" quality improvement research. She then demonstrates how such a research project can be implemented through 14 case studies involving actual health care situations. Altogether, the cases speak to a broad array of issues and potential pitfalls for the unwary investigatorùand they show that progress can be made in even the most difficult circumstances. Quality Improvement Projects in Health Care will be of interest to students and professionals in health sciences administration, nursing, allied health, and public health.

 
PART ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND MANUAL
 
Basic Concepts
 
Does the Problem Really Exist?
 
Finding and Verifying Causes
 
Finding Solutions
 
Implementing Solutions and Making Them Operational
 
PART TWO: CASES
 
Getting Nursing Home Residents into Physical Therapy in a Timely Fashion
 
Patients Waiting for Radiation during Scheduled Visits
 
Late Notification of Critical Values by a Hospital Laboratory
 
Time Spent in Rehabilitation by Amputation Patients in a Municipal Hospital
 
Incomplete Laboratory Referrals in an HMO Center
 
HMO Patients' Problems with Crutches and Canes
 
Dealing with Hemolyzed Blood Samples in a Hospital Laboratory
 
Errors in Filling Prescriptions in a Hospital Pharmacy
 
A Labor-Management Health and Safety Committee
 
Nurse Attendance at Mandated Classes in an Outpatient Department
 
Compliance with Discussions and Documentation of Advance Directives in a Home Care Agency
 
Use of a Reminder Letter To Encourage Follow-Up Visits
 
Use of an Internal Audit in an Intermediate Care Facility
 
Use of Data on Unusual Occurrences in an Emergency Medical Service

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ISBN: 9781452251257

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