Evaluate Business Strategies For Quality Management And Cont

Evaluate Business Strategies For Quality Management And Conti

In this assignment, you will evaluate dimensions of quality in healthcare and how various industries can apply these concepts to improve operations. Using the resources available to you, research the priorities in the current publication of the National Quality Strategy. Select and discuss one priority that is the most important to healthcare today. Additionally, analyze how an industry other than healthcare can utilize your chosen strategy to enhance their operations. Present your findings using one of the following formats: a 3-4 page fact sheet for the community, an internal organizational memorandum, an infographic, a PowerPoint presentation for a Board of Directors (10-12 slides with speaker notes), or a 5-7 minute public service announcement recorded with a free online voice recorder such as vocaroo.com. The use of first person is permitted for this assignment. While APA formatting such as a title page, reference page, or specific referencing style is not required, proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are expected throughout the work.

Paper For Above instruction

The contemporary landscape of healthcare emphasizes continuous quality improvement and patient safety as central pillars for effective healthcare delivery. The US National Quality Strategy (NQS), an initiative aimed at advancing health, safety, and equity, outlines several priorities to improve health outcomes. Among these, the most critical today is “Making Care Safer by Reducing Harm.” This priority aims to minimize adverse events and preventable harm within healthcare settings—a goal that directly correlates with the broader objectives of patient-centered care and safety. This paper explores this priority and discusses how a different industry, specifically the manufacturing sector, can implement similar quality strategies to improve operations.

Priority in Healthcare: Making Care Safer by Reducing Harm

The importance of reducing harm in healthcare cannot be overstated. Medical errors, hospital-acquired infections, and adverse medication interactions continue to pose significant risks to patient safety, despite advances in medical technology and protocols. For instance, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) reports that hospital-associated infections (HAIs), such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia, affect hundreds of thousands of patients annually and can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs (CDC, 2022). Implementing evidence-based safety protocols, such as checklists, electronic health records (EHRs), and staff training, has been shown to significantly reduce these incidents (Pronovost et al., 2006). The consistency of such safety measures aligns with the healthcare industry's obligation to “first, do no harm,” emphasizing the use of data-driven quality improvement strategies to continually address hazards and prevent harm.

Applying Healthcare Safety Strategies to the Manufacturing Industry

The manufacturing industry, like healthcare, demands rigorous safety and quality controls to prevent errors, accidents, and inefficiencies. Applying the healthcare priority of “Making Care Safer by Reducing Harm” can guide this industry toward safer processes and improved outcomes for workers and consumers. For example, the adoption of standardized procedures, real-time monitoring, and safety audits can significantly reduce accidents and defective products in manufacturing plants.

One effective approach is the implementation of a comprehensive quality management system akin to healthcare safety protocols. This could include the regular collection of safety data, employee training programs, and proactive hazard identification—all integral to continuous improvement (Besterfield et al., 2014). Just as healthcare uses Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to investigate errors, manufacturers can utilize similar methods to identify the fundamental causes of defects or accidents and implement corrective actions (Benneyan, 2008).

Furthermore, integrating technological tools such as Industry 4.0 innovations—like IoT sensors and automated monitoring systems—mirrors the use of electronic health records in healthcare to provide real-time data for decision-making (Lee et al., 2018). This allows manufacturing operations to detect deviations early, prevent accidents proactively, and improve overall safety and quality outcomes.

Conclusion

The priority of “Making Care Safer by Reducing Harm” in healthcare underscores the universal importance of safety, error reduction, and continuous improvement across industries. By adopting systemic safety protocols, leveraging technology, and fostering a culture committed to quality, industries like manufacturing can safeguard their operations, protect their workers, and deliver higher quality products. Cross-industry learning and adaptation of these safety-focused strategies can catalyze a significant improvement in operational excellence and stakeholder trust across sectors.

References

• Benneyan, J. C. (2008). Control charts for quality improvement of healthcare processes: A review of the literature. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 17(4), 290–294.
• Besterfield, D. H., Besterfield-Michna, C., Besterfield-Sacre, M., & Besterfield, G. H. (2014). Quality control (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html
• Lee, J., Kao, H. A., & Yang, S. (2018). Service innovation and smart analytics for Industry 4.0 and big data environment. Manufacturing Letters, 15, 104–107.
• Pronovost, P., Needham, D., Berenholtz, S., et al. (2006). An intervention to decrease catheter-related bloodstream infections in the ICU. New England Journal of Medicine, 355(26), 2725–2732.