Quality care begins with appropriate care

by Gary S. Kaplan When the Virginia Mason board of directors approved our innovative strategic plan in 2001, we knew our approach to healthcare was about to change for the better. Thus began our journey to transform healthcare by first transforming our organization. As former Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill put it, we had embarked on a bold "bet the farm"strategy of pursuing quality and safety--something that differentiated Virginia Mason in a healthcare marketplace that seemed more focused on size and rapid expansion. Since then, we've gained even more clarity about what it means to be the quality leader and pursue the perfect patient experience. We have refined our construct of what quality means and we express it in the Virginia Mason Quality Equation... Quality = Appropriateness x (Outcomes + Service) Waste Quality is appropriateness (providing the right treatments at the right times) with successful outcomes plus excellent service (treating patients with respect and dignity, keeping them informed, etc.) from which unnecessary, wasteful steps and processes have been eliminated. Waste, which can come in the form of motion, defects, overproduction, time, inventory, processing and transportation, always sub-optimizes quality and the patient experience. At Virginia Mason, we use this equation to emphasize key components that should be considered when evaluating and delivering quality care. One part of the quality equation often overlooked by many organizations,...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs