4 steps to improve quality in your practice

For doctors who want to improve patient care and office efficiency, there is a straight-forward, cost-effective way to achieve that goal. Learn the four steps you need to take. Plan-Do-Study-Act A new module in the AMA’s STEPS Forward™ collection of practice improvement strategies can guide you through the steps it will take to make quality-of-care improvements you have identified—anything from improving adult immunization rates to bettering diabetes or hypertension screening and care. It also can help your staff work flow concerns, such as lowering no-show rates and wait times and increasing your chances of finishing the day on time. And once you’ve made changes, the steps can help you find opportunities to make “improved” processes even better. The module—written by Laura Lee Hall, PhD, director of the Center for Quality and Office of Grants at the American College of Physicians—lays out a four-step Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) strategy that physicians can follow. Plan: Develop the initiative Do: Implement your plan Study: Check the results Act: Make further improvements Developing a plan When deciding upon the quality improvement initiative, physicians should ask people on the front lines—for example clinical team members and clerical staff—their opinions on what needs to change. Patient surveys also can be a useful tool. Ask: Where does the practice need to improve patient care? Performance measure data from a Physi...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news