HRH Global Resource Center - Quality Improvement

Lean Management in the South African Public Health Sector: A Case Study

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:12:46 +0000

This chapter gives an account of one relatively modest but effective intervention in an orthopaedic outpatient clinic at the New Somerset Hospital (NSH) in Cape Town in 2013. This project aimed to reduce patient waiting times in the clinic, and improve patient satisfaction.

Medical Teamwork and Patient Safety: The Evidence-Based Relation

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 19:02:45 +0000

The science of team performance and training can help the medical community improve patient safety. This report, commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), assesses the status of relevant team training research from aviation and other domains and applies this research to the field of medicine. It additionally provides a comprehensive review and evaluation of current medical team training initiatives and their effectiveness. [from resource]

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Health Care Teams

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:50:04 +0000

While it is recognised that effective health care teams are associated with quality patient care, the literature is comparatively sparse in defining the outcomes of effective teamwork. This literature review of the range of organisational, team and individual benefits of teamwork complements an earlier article which summarised the antecedent conditions for (input) and team processes (throughput) of effective teams. This article summarises the evidence for a range of outcome measures of effective teams. [from abstract]

An Intervention to Enhance Nursing Staff Teamwork and Engagement

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:43:08 +0000

In this study, an intervention to enhance teamwork and staff engagement was tested on a medical unit in an acute care hospital. The results showed that the intervention resulted in a significantly lower patient fall rate, staff ratings of improved teamwork on the unit, and lower staff turnover and vacancy rates. Patient satisfaction ratings approached, but did not reach, statistical significance. [from abstract]

Teamwork in Healthcare: Promoting Effective Teamwork in Healthcare in Canada. Policy Synthesis and Recommendations

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:22:44 +0000

To prepare this report, an interprofessional research team conducted in-depth interviews with key informants and
undertook a wide-ranging survey of peer-reviewed and grey literature on the components of teamwork; effectiveness of teams; types of interventions; healthcare team dynamics; and the impact of government infrastructure, legislation,
and policy on teamwork in the Canadian healthcare system. [from summary]

Teamwork and Patient Safety in Dynamic Domains of Healthcare: A Review of the Literature

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:16:34 +0000

This review examines current research on teamwork in highly dynamic domains of healthcare such as operating rooms, intensive care, emergency medicine, or trauma and resuscitation teams with a focus on aspects relevant to the quality and safety of patient care. [from abstract]

Lean Management in the South African Public Health Sector: A Case Study

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 20:23:54 +0000

Engaging Frontline Health Providers in Improving the Quality of Health Care Using Facility-Based Improvement Collaboratives in Afghanistan: Case Study

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:27:59 +0000

Quality of care can be significantly improved by engaging teams of frontline workers to identify problems and find local solutions for those problems. Based on the results achieved in Kunduz, Balkh, and Kabul, the collaborative improvement work was expanded from 2010–2012 to seven more provinces. The results achieved on the ground also led the MoPH to establish a unit for quality and a national health care quality improvement strategy for Afghanistan. [from abstract]

Quality Use of Medicines within Universal Health Coverage: Challenges and Opportunities

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 13:00:19 +0000

Medicines are a major driver of quality, safety, equity, and cost of care in low and middle-income country health systems. Universal health coverage implementers must explicitly address appropriate use of medicines to realize the health benefits of medicines, avoid wasting scarce resources, and sustain the financial viability of universal health coverage schemes. [from abstract]

Sauti Za Wananchi “Voice of the People”: Patient's Satisfaction on the Medical Wards at a Kenyan Referral Hospital

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 13:49:01 +0000

Patient’s satisfaction is one indicator of healthcare quality. Few studies have examined the inpatient experiences in resource-scarce environments in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examines patient’s satisfaction on the public medical wards at a Kenyan referral hospital, we performed a cross-sectional survey focused on patient’s satisfaction with medical information and their relationship with staffing and hospital routine. Ratings of communication with providers, efforts to protect privacy, information about costs, food, and hospital environment were also elicited. [adapted from abstract]