First, you will identify a problem in a healthcare organization. You may use a problem from your organization or a problem from a fictional organization.
Prompt
As you develop this first part of the assignment, include the following details:
- What Is the Organizational Problem?
- Provide details about the organizational problem. How does this problem fail to meet quality or other regulatory requirements?
- State organizational challenges posed by the problem (e.g., interdepartmental conflicts, communication failure, budgeting issues).
- Evidence-Based Support
- Provide data that supports the existence of the problem. You may use public sources to find data related to your problem. Be sure to de-identify any patient data if you are using your organization’s problem.
- How has this problem been addressed in the past? What information management systems or patient care technologies have been used when addressing this problem? Be sure to use peer-reviewed literature to support your answer.
- Discuss relevant accreditation standards, safety standards, compliance standards, and quality initiatives. How do these standards promote a culture of safety within the department? Be sure to cite the appropriate standards within your answer.
Quality and Performance Improvement Ideas for Final Project
- Clinical documentation
- Coding compliance
- Coding productivity
- Coding quality
- Data collection or capture
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance procedures (examples: physical safeguards, release of information)
- Hospital-acquired infection rates
- Medical errors
- Order entry and charting
- Patient identity management
- Patient safety (example: fall prevention)
- Patient satisfaction
- Physician query process
- Readmission rates
- Reducing accounts receivable (A/R) days
- Return to surgery rates
- Telehealth services and privacy considerations
- Wait times (examples: emergency department, clinic, urgent care)
- Workflow improvement for any health information management (HIM) function
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The organizational problem identified for this assignment is hospital-acquired infection rates. Hospital-acquired infections, also known as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), are infections that patients acquire during their stay in a healthcare facility. They are a significant problem as they cause harm to patients and increase healthcare costs. In this assignment, we will examine the details of the organizational problem, the challenges it poses, provide evidence-based support, explore previous approaches to addressing the problem, and discuss relevant accreditation and safety standards.
Answer:
1. What Is the Organizational Problem?
The organizational problem is high hospital-acquired infection rates within the healthcare organization. This problem fails to meet quality and regulatory requirements as it compromises patient safety and contributes to patient harm. HAIs can occur due to various reasons, including inadequate hand hygiene practices, contaminated medical equipment, improper care practices, and environmental factors.
The organizational challenges posed by the problem include interdepartmental conflicts, communication failure, and budgeting issues. Interdepartmental conflicts may arise when there is a lack of collaboration and coordination among different departments, such as nursing, housekeeping, and infection control. Communication failure can occur when there is a lack of clear communication channels and protocols regarding infection prevention and control. Budgeting issues can arise when there is insufficient allocation of resources towards infection control measures, such as advanced disinfection technologies and staff training programs.
2. Evidence-Based Support:
Data supports the existence of the problem of high hospital-acquired infection rates. Public sources indicate that HAIs are a significant concern globally, affecting millions of patients every year. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 1 in 31 hospitalized patients in the United States has at least one HAI. This data highlights the prevalence and impact of the problem within healthcare organizations.
Previous approaches to addressing the problem of hospital-acquired infections have included the use of information management systems and patient care technologies. For instance, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have been implemented to improve infection surveillance and tracking. These systems allow for real-time data collection and analysis, enabling early identification of infections and prompt interventions. Additionally, patient care technologies such as automated hand hygiene monitoring systems and UV disinfection devices have been utilized to enhance infection prevention practices.
Relevant accreditation standards, safety standards, compliance standards, and quality initiatives promote a culture of safety within the department. The Joint Commission, a widely recognized accreditation organization, has specific standards related to infection prevention and control. These standards include hand hygiene compliance, proper sterilization and disinfection practices, and surveillance of HAIs. Compliance with these standards ensures that healthcare organizations prioritize infection prevention and adopt evidence-based practices to reduce hospital-acquired infections. Additionally, other quality initiatives such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program incentivize organizations to improve patient safety by reducing HAIs.
In conclusion, the problem of high hospital-acquired infection rates poses significant challenges to healthcare organizations. Data supports the existence of this problem, and previous approaches have utilized information management systems and patient care technologies for addressing it. Compliance with accreditation standards and quality initiatives further promotes a culture of safety within the department.
