Continuous Improvement Strategies by Anthony Matthew Hopper

Author:Anthony Matthew Hopper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

Chapter Six

A Guide to Implementing and Monitoring Quality Improvement Initiatives

6.1 A Brief Introduction

In this chapter, I will touch on some general strategies that office-level health-care leaders and others can use to help them successfully implement and monitor quality improvement (QI) initiatives. Like a typical planning-based guide, I will focus on each of the key stages in the implementation process. However, I do not intend to delve into the nuanced aspects that are part and parcel of many continuous improvement (CI) discussions. For one thing, numerous authors have already written extensively on these subjects and have produced a plethora of charts, graphs, tables, and the like. Perhaps more importantly, if I created a detailed, technical how-to-guide, I would probably need to settle on one type of CI strategy such as Six Sigma or Lean. By taking this step, I would leave out readers who utilized a different system than the one I chose.

Instead, I will proffer some overall tips that office-level healthcare leaders can utilize to help them improve workplace efficiency and effectiveness. I will also instruct administrators on how to successfully engage stakeholders in the CI process. Specifically, I will discuss some techniques that these individuals can employ to help them identify problems and develop lasting solutions to these issues. I will also introduce methods that office-level leaders can use to help them convince superiors, colleagues, and subordinates to buy into (or at least to refrain from hindering) a QI initiative. Additionally, I will provide readers with some advice on how to manage stakeholder expectations. Finally, I will denote points in a continuous quality improvement (CQI) process when administrators should seek to interact with other employees in an attempt to gather valuable information and data. At the same time, I will show readers how to handle these situations so that they garner the necessary information without agitating or angering staff.

While I believe that most people will gain some key insights from reading this chapter, I feel that administrators who work for small or resource-challenged healthcare institutions will be particularly pleased with the material in this narrative. I hope to provide office-level healthcare leaders who labor in these challenging environments with specific tips that they can use to successfully implement and manage CI projects. In my opinion, business and health-care experts too often ignore these individuals; I hope to rectify that situation.

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