Health cost is escalating. Today health care systems are responsible for a considerable proportion of public expenses. Patient safety became a major concern and evolved as a global problem with the increase in public perception on adverse events. As a result, improving the quality of care and measuring performance using effective measurement tools became major public and political issues challenging health care organizations. In response to this, considerable effort and expenses have been devoted to develop and implement quality initiatives in health care organizations. It is essential that the assessment of quality initiatives use evidence-based measurements to evaluate their outcomes. Joint Commission International (JCI), a wholly-controlled non profit affiliate of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) was established with a goal to continuously improve the level of healthcare organizations by introducing international standards and indicators applicable to different countries around the globe. Anecdotal evidence and numerous testimonials suggest performance improvement, yet no empirical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the overall benefits of applying the JCI standards, in countries outside the US. This book presents a robust methodology to measure quality performance of health care organizations and evaluate the effectiveness of JCI standards in improving the quality of care. The book is based on a study that used a holistic performance measurement model to measure the effect of the newly developed JCI standards on the perceived quality performance and the progress toward organizational excellence of a 400-bed hospital in a developing country. The study used a longitudinal quantitative design over a period of 15 months. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 250 staff, 250 patients and families, 200 patients' medical records, and 60 self-assessment surveys based on the accreditation bodies' approach. The results showed a significant perceived improvement in the overall organizational performance index 15 months after the implementation of JCI standards. The results highlighted many areas of strength in the standards, mainly in their impact on organizational excellence, quality improvement and patients' safety, leadership and management performance, patients' satisfaction and delight, organizational learning, organizational ethical performance, and documentation. The results also identified opportunities for improvement in the JCI standards with respect to human resource management and the absence of standards that address issues existing in organizations with corporate structures.

In a world where there is increasing demand for the performance of health providers to be measured, there is a need for a more strategic vision of the role that performance measurement can play in securing health system improvement. This volume meets this need by presenting the opportunities and challenges associated with performance measurement in a framework that is clear and easy to understand. It examines the various levels at which health system performance is undertaken, the technical instruments and tools available, and the implications using these may have for those charged with the governance of the health system. Technical material is presented in an accessible way and is illustrated with examples from all over the world. Performance Measurement for Health System Improvement is an authoritative and practical guide for policy makers, regulators, patient groups and researchers.

The National Roundtable on Health Care Quality was established in 1995 by the Institute of Medicine. The Roundtable consists of experts formally appointed through procedures of the National Research Council (NRC) who represent both public and private-sector perspectives and appropriate areas of substantive expertise (not organizations). From the public sector, heads of appropriate Federal agencies serve. It offers a unique, nonadversarial environment to explore ongoing rapid changes in the medical marketplace and the implications of these changes for the quality of health and health care in this nation. The Roundtable has a liaison panel focused on quality of care in managed care organizations. The Roundtable convenes nationally prominent representatives of the private and public sector (regional, state and federal), academia, patients, and the health media to analyze unfolding issues concerning quality, to hold workshops and commission papers on significant topics, and when appropriate, to produce periodic statements for the nation on quality of care matters. By providing a structured opportunity for regular communication and interaction, the Roundtable fosters candid discussion among individuals who represent various sides of a given issue.

This ground-breaking book addresses the critical, growing need among health care administrators and practitioners to measure the effectiveness of quality improvement efforts. Written by respected healthcare quality professionals, Measuring Quality Improvement in Healthcare covers practical applications of the tools and techniques of statistical process control (SPC), including control charts, in healthcare settings. The authors' straightforward discussions of data collection, variation, and process improvement set the context for the use and interpretation of control charts. Their approach incorporates "the voice of the customer" as a key element driving the improvement processes and outcomes. The core of the book is a set of 12 case studies that show how to apply statistical thinking to health care process, and when and how to use different types of control charts. The practical, down-to-earth orientation of the book makes it accessible to a wide readership. "Only authors who have used statistics and control charts to solve real-world healthcare problems could have written a book so practical and timely." - Barry S. Bader, Publisher The Quality Letter for Healthcare Leaders "Many clinicians and other healthcare leaders underestimate the great contributions that better statistical thinking could make toward reducing costs and improving outcomes. This fascinating and timely book is a fine guide for getting started." - Donald M. Berwick, M.D. President and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School Contents: Planning Your CQI Journey, Preparing to Collect Data, Data Collection, Understanding Variation, Using Run and Control Charts to Analyze Process Variation, Control Chart Case Studies, Developing Improvement Strategies, Using Patient Surveys for CQI, Formulas for Calculating Control Limits

There is growing interest in using performance measurement as a means of holding federal, state, and local health agencies accountable for their use of public funds. Health Performance Measurement in the Public Sector is the second of two books for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on using and improving performance measurement in publicly funded health programs and the implications for data needs and systems. This book focuses on data and information system issues at the federal, state, and local levels. Recommendations address: Policy framework for selecting performance measures and using performance measurement. Operational principles related to data and data systems that support performance measurement. Essential investments in data systems and in training and technical assistance. Research needed to improve performance measures and performance measurement.

Performance Measurement is the first in a new series of an ongoing effort by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to improve health care quality. Performance Measurement offers a comprehensive review of available measures and introduces a new framework to examine these measures against the six aims of the health care system: health care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. This new book also addresses the gaps in performance measurement and introduces the need for measures that are longitudinal, comprehensive, population-based, and patient-centered. This book is directed toward all concerned with improving the quality and performance of the nation's health care system in its multiple dimensions and in both the public and private sectors.

Basics of Health Care Performance Improvement: A Lean Six Sigma Approach prepares future healthcare administrators to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace through the proven Lean Six Sigma method of quality improvement—straightforward principles and procedures that enhance how healthcare organizations operate. With an eye toward meeting consumers’ increasing demand for value in health care, this new volume provides in-depth information on planning and implementing a “Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control” (DMAIC) initiative to reduce errors and improve performance in healthcare settings, and serves as an essential reference on the basics of Lean Six Sigma and its application in augmenting the quality of care. Key Features: Lean Six Sigma case studies drawn from the industry; A thorough exploration of DMAIC approach to quality improvement; Discussion questions in every chapter Instructor Resources: Instructor's Manual, PowerPoint Presentations, and a TestBank

Written by an internationally-recognized expert in the field of quality management, this book will serve as your guide for planning and implementing a successful quality measurement program in your healthcare facility. It begins by presenting an overview of the context for quality measurement, the forces influencing the demand for quality reform, how to listen to the voice of the customer, and the characteristics of quality that customers value most. You'll also learn how to select and define indicators to collect data and how to organize data into a dashboard that can provide feedback on your progress toward quality measurement. Finally, this book shows you how to analyze your data by detailing how variation lives in your data, and whether this variation is acceptable. Case studies are provided to demonstrate how quality measurement can be applied to clinical as well as operational aspects of healthcare delivery.

How can we measure the performance of different health systems, and how can we use such information to support ongoing health systems improvement? These are the central questions addressed in this volume. Health policymakers have a growing interest in finding ways of encouraging health systems to improve their performance, where performance is measured against quality, efficiency, or equity goals. Improving performance has the potential to reduce the tensions between rising demands and limited resources. There is also a growing demand for accountability among those who fund and those who provide health services. This book highlights the core elements of a possible performance measurement framework to assess health systems at the international and national levels. It also addresses further challenges which remain: how do we overcome the lack of health outcome measures? How do we better align performance information and incentives with policy objectives? And how do we reconcile the traditional professional self-regulation approach with greater public accountability for health care quality?