Applying Key Interventions to a Practice Problem

Based on the Plan-Do-Study-Act model described in week 3 as the quality improvement model, the quality improvement will involve a series of steps which will be focused at planning the plan, trying the plan on an evidence-based practice, observing the results and acting accordingly. This will be based on the results that will be collected from the performance of the improvement plan. The details of the quality improvement plan and the steps to be followed are hereby outlined.

The first step in the process will be the planning stage which will involve identification of the goals or the purpose of the plan. The purpose of the quality improvement plan is to address the practice problems that were identified by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment scale and confirmed by the QAPI scale. The problems to be addressed by the plan are misinterpretation of the ESAS tool by some of the hospice team members. Also, the challenge of translating the severity of the patient’s symptoms into a scale. The goal is that addressing of the two problems would rectify the results that were proved by the QAPI tracker indicating that the goal of increased nurse visits towards the death of the patient was not achieved. In the same stage, the interventions for change will be formulated which include extensive trainings to the hospice team members among others. The metrics which are to be used in assessing the success of the plan will also be determined in the same stage. In measuring the success of the plan, a metric system such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System will be used in determining the success of the plan through feedback on the patient experience (Jiao, 2017).

The next step will be to implement the components of the plan which will involve selecting the measures to monitor the progress. The changes will be developed in this stage in order to realize at the quality improvement in the hospice services. Small tests will be conducted at this stage using samples to test the efficiency of the plan and t the same time mitigate risks that may arise if the plan is used on a full-scale basis. Adaptation of additional changes will be done in the same stage to increase the efficiency of the quality improvement model. Any barriers that might arise in implementation of the quality improvement model will be identified and dealt with at the same stage. Among the expected barriers may involve resistance from some of the hospice team members. Another barrier as identified in one of the research studies is that some patient’s might not understand the ESAS tool and will have to be trained if they are used as part of the sample respondents (Spath, 2018).

The fourth stage will be studying the results which will involve monitoring the outcomes of the test and assessing the validity of the plan to determine areas of success or errors and those areas that need improvements. In achieving this, the outcomes will be compared with the criteria set in the planning stage to enhance variation analysis between the standard outcomes and the actual incomes.

The fourth and last step in the quality improvement plan will be acting which involve reassessing and responding to the outcomes based on the analysis done on the outcomes in the study stage. This step will involve measuring the success and failures of the plan using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System. The areas that can be improved on the plan will be addressed and if the plan will have succeeded will be integrated in the hospice system.

Reference

Jiao, X. U. E., & Hong-yan, Y. A. O. (2017). Application of Improved PDCA Cycle Method in Management of Nursing Teaching in Medical Colleges and Universities. Medical Education Research and Practice, (4), 4.

Spath Patrice (2018). Introduction to Healthcare Quality Management, Third Edition. Health Administration Press. ISBN9781567939880