Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement is a journey of residents and families, personal support workers, nurses, physicians, managers, and pharmacists coming together, staying together and working together towards improved outcomes.
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.
Introduction
Within Long-Term Care homes, Quality Improvement is a journey of residents and families, personal support workers, nurses, physicians, managers, and pharmacists coming together, staying together and working together towards improved outcomes.
During the “Strengthening Medication Safety in Long-Term Care” initiative, ISMP Canada provides support in two areas of Quality Improvement:
- Education and Training in Quality Improvement Techniques
- Coaching and Facilitation of Quality Improvement Teams
Education and Training in Quality Improvement Techniques
E-learning
The QI journey needs a common language and methodology. You will get introduced to these in the short, online modules, which can be accessed by anyone. These are interactive modules where you will perform some simple activities to understand the QI concepts and tools and will get an opportunity to translate those to your facilities. Below is a list of the E-learning modules:
You will need to login or register to access these modules.
- Introduction to the Quality Improvement Method
- Workplace Organization – An introduction to 5S
- Pictures Talk – Using Visual Work Instructions in Healthcare
- Prevent mistakes by making the abnormal obvious
- Fewer footsteps, more time for care – Using Spaghetti Diagrams
- Use data to take action – Run Charts, the basics
- Process Mapping – an introduction
- Select the fewest ideas for the most impact – Impact-Effort analysis
Advanced Workshops
After being introduced to a common QI language and some basic concepts, you will be able to participate on cross-functional improvement teams that will develop advanced skills in improvement through workshops. The advanced workshops, which are listed below, could be remotely facilitated or in-person, depending on the preferences and availability of your teams.
- Mapping the medication process to identify the opportunities to improve medication safety
- Designing tests of change (PDSA) for selected strategies to improve medication safety
- Sustaining the improvements made in medication safety through Process Controls and Change Management
Coaching and Facilitation of Quality Improvement Teams
Even the most talented teams require some coaching to apply the newly acquired skills to their own work environments. Typically, your QI teams will spend about six months applying the QI techniques, during which they will be coached by subject-matter experts from ISMP Canada. Just-in-time coaching will be provided to your teams to:
- Define your medication safety opportunity.
- Measure the baseline, and analyse the processes associated with the defined opportunity.
- Brainstorm, prioritize and test the most impactful improvement ideas.
- Make the improved process the new standard at your facility.
Use QI methods to understand and improve medication processes
Let us know how the Strengthening Medication Safety in Long-Term Care initiative is making a difference in your setting. Contact us with your stories, photos, and videos. With your permission we’ll post it here to inspire others to make a difference. Together we will make a difference.
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