Organizational Strategies for Quality Assessment and Improvement

What can health care organizations do to promote a culture of safety? What conditions motivate individuals to contribute toward quality improvement? How can leadership encourage those working in an organization to respond appropriately in a challenging situation? In this Discussion, you will consider various recommendations for promoting quality in health care organizations.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Use the Walden library and credible Web sites to research examples of organizations that are striving to improve quality and safety using strategies related to at least one of the following (or other factors addressed this week):
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  • Leadership
  • Interdisciplinary teamwork
  • Governance
  • Organizational structure
  • Organizational culture
• Select one example that you think is particularly inspiring or beneficial to share in the Discussion.
• Review the Learning Rources. What additional strategies might help to motivate health care professionals to assess and improve quality?
  

Post by Day 4 a response to the following:

• Briefly describe how an organization has implemented a quality-related strategy that involves leadership, teamwork, governance, organizational culture, or other factors addressed this week.
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• Describe the organization's objectives related to this change, and, if possible, evaluate its progress thus far.
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• Propose additional strategies or recommendations that you would suggest for an organization.
  

Read a selection of your colleagues' postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
  
• Expand on the colleague's posting with additional insight and resources.
  
• Offer polite disagreement or critique, supported with evidence.
  

In addition to, but not in place of, the above, you may:

• Offer and support an opinion.
  
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
  
• Make a suggestion or comment that guides or facilitates the Discussion.
  

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made. No posting is required.