Running Head IMPROVEMENT FOR THE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION .docx

Running Head: IMPROVEMENT FOR THE HEALTHCARE
ORGANIZATION
1
IMPROVEMENT FOR THE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION
8
Introduction
There are several healthcare areas that require improvement,
and some of them include health care literacy among patients as
well as the underserved population (Grover, 2010). Health
literacy refers how well people to that which individuals gain,
process, and comprehend fundamental health information and
services so as to make suitable health decisions. On the other
hand, there are several instances in the
healthcare centers where some of the population underserved.
For this reason, these two areas require improvement that then
contributes to the better provision of services in the healthcare
sectors.
Data needed to monitor improvement
The data that is required to monitor improvement of health care
literacy among patients include health outcomes as well as the
degree to which preventive care used.Low levels of health
literacy linked with poor health outcomes and inadequate use of
preventive care (Healthcare, 2013).The other data to gather
include health care costs and expenditures since patients with
low health literacy appear
to have elevated healthcare costs and health care expenditures
(Grover, 2010). Up to one-half of the US population has
inadequate health literacy; aged and low-income persons are

most probable to have low health literacy.
Health insurance literacy is also low, mainly among individuals
with low incomes. In the case of underserved population, it
includes appliance of the Index of Medical Underservice (IMU)
to data on a service area to gain a score for the area
(Healthcare, 2013). The IMU scale ranges from 0 to 100, where
0 represents totally underserved, and 100 represents top served
or least underserved. Under the established criteria, every
service area found to have an IMU of 62.0 or less qualifies for
description as an MUA (Carnevale, 2012).
Data collection tools
Survey Methodology
The information collected by this Tool includeshospital
demographics and characteristics such as facility and service-
line provisions, beds, amenities, finance and recruitment of
employees (Grover, 2010). All these are important data for
evaluating underserved population in the healthcare sector.
Similarly, facility and service line provisions enable evaluation
of healthcare literacy.
The strength of survey method in health literacy includes a
provision of a methodology of programs to include the
managers in the whole planning process from collection of data
to the expansion of action plans. The weakness of this method
involves partiality in the sample (Carnevale, 2012).There is no
objective sampling method. The main informants chosen
involuntarily may provide a narrow and partial view of the
troubles.
The strength of survey in underserved population involves the
provision of a foundation for including community leaders in
the planning process. On the other hand, the weakness of survey
in underserved population involves the need to surmount
interview troubles. As numerous people have slight experience
in conducting interviews and making practical observations,
some preparation is essential (Grover, 2010).

Podcasts
Data collected by podcasts includecreation and interpretation of
an epidemic curve, a line list and a timeline and management of
outbreaks (Healthcare, 2013). The podcasts show how the charts
can be functional in NHS boards in the event of a so-called
outbreak to help in the prevention, recognition, control and
managing of the outbreak.
The strength of podcast in healthcare literacy includes
convenience since it is can evaluate literacy of patients in a
healthcare organization. On the other hand, the weakness of
podcast in healthcare literacy is difficulty in accessibility
(Grover, 2010).
The strength of podcast in underserved population involves
coverage in that it covers the underserved individuals in any
healthcare sector. The weakness of podcast in the underserved
population also involves bias in information delivery
(Carnevale, 2012).
SAGE
Data contained in SAGE involved collection of household and
individual level data on adults in six states and dedicated to
vigorously collaborating on extra data collection efforts, and
secondary analyzes and comparisons.
The strength of SAGE in healthcare literacy is that it enables
patients to present suggestions for present system flaws and
future system information. The weakness of SAGE in healthcare
literacy is that it is not able to present the information of all the
underserved individuals in the health care sector (Carnevale,
2012).
The strength of SAGE in underserved population is that it is
robust and involves position-based enrollment automation, and a
built-in expansion scheduler (Modern Healthcare, 2013). The
weakness of SAGE in underserviced population is that its social
functionality and abilities are sternly lacking particularly in
terms of social media tools and incorporation with social

networks and online channels.
Similarities and differences
The data collection methods are similar in that they all collect
data for the first time, but they are different in the manner they
present the information (Modern Healthcare, 2013).
Quality improvement tools
Histogram
Information contained in a histogram includes patterns about
the number of people served in a health center, number of beds
in hospitals and other amenities with relation to the number of
patients (Modern Healthcare
, 2013).
The strength of histogram is that it offers a summing up of the
data and trends in terms of mean, and deviation. Similarly, it
offers an easy to understand overview of literacy and
underserved populations in a healthcare organization. On the
other hand, its weakness involves loss of particular
measurements because of grouping. Similarly, falsification of
data from groups that is too wide or too narrow such as the
underserved population.
Scatter diagrams
Information contained in the scatter diagram includes the
relationship between the services offered to the underserved
population versus the health outcomes. They also display a
relationship between literacy of patients to the health outcomes
(Healt
hcare, 2013).
Strength and weaknesses
Scatter plots are very useful if a linear correlation between two
dependent events identified. The weakness is, one would not be
in a position to use them for two unconnected and independent
events, as no helpful
information could be drawn from them (Modern Healthcare,
2013).

Similarities and differences
Quality improvement tools are similar in that they depict the
relationship between variables in the healthcare sector.
However, they are different in terms of the number of variables
depicted by respective tools (Grover 2010).
Importance in healthcare organization
Used for implementing data collection and performance
measurement techniques, and the organizations that integrated
their use into QI programs effectively improved their deliveries
of care (Carnevale, 2012).
Departments
The most important the department involved in the plan
isDepartmentof Health and Human Services since the two areas
that need improvement associated with patients (Healthcare,
2013). Similarly, the activities involved in the plan include
technical/rational elements such as models methods and tools
involved in the plan. The other activity involves social
psychology, which refers to how patients respond to change as
well as the relations between these two elements.
The reason involved in the plan is that they tackle the issues of
patients as well as healthcare providers efficiently. Their role in
the implementation of the plan is to identify the areas that
require improvement and offer suitable remedies to ensure
improvement in the specific areas of health care.
References
Carnevale, A. P., & Georgetown University. (2012). Healthcare.
Washington, D.C: Georgetown
University, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Center on
Education and the Workforce.
Grover, J. (2010). Healthcare. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Healthcare. (2013).

Modern Healthcare. (2013). Chicago: Crain Communications.
Content
Points Available
Points Earned
Comments
· Describes data needed to monitor improvement for 2-3
problematic areas.
· Identifies and describes data collection and analysis tools
· Explores types of information collected/analyzed by each tool.
· Explores strengths and weaknesses of each tool.
· Explores similarities and differences.
· Discusses QI Activities
6
4.5
Tammy,
Overall, a good review of the tools.
Application of relevant course materials was too generic – be
sure to explore and apply specific concepts in more detail.
Paper would have been stronger if you described the data
collection/analysis tools in more detail, specific to your
identified opportunity.
Organization / Development

· Paper is 1,050 to 1,400 words in length
· Introduction provides sufficient background
· Conclusion is logical, flows, reviews major points
· At least three relevant references are cited
2
2
The introductory paragraph should start with a sentence that
engages your readers. This is followed by two or three
sentences that provide details about the subject matter. All of
these sentences build up to your thesis statement that
summarizes the purpose and approach of your paper.
Mechanics
· Paper, title page, reference page, tables, or appendixes,
consistent with APA guidelines
· Paper is laid out with effective use of headings, font styles,
and white space.
· Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed;
spelling is correct.
2
2
Good use of headers to make transitions easier to follow.
A paragraph should be at least 3 sentences in length and explore
the topic in sufficient depth.

Review APA format for reference list; while seemingly minor
attention to detail is important at the graduate level.
TOTAL
10
8.5
I look forward to reading Part 2!
Be sure to re-read the “Quality Improvement Plan Assignment
Details” document that I posted at the start of the course.
�Introduction is expected to briefly (3-5 sentences) summarize
the specific purpose, approach, and scope of the paper – provide
a precise thesis statement.
�Good!
�Paragraph is too short: should be at least 3 sentences in length
and explore the topic in sufficient depth.
�How? Explore in more detail
�Paragraph is too short: should be at least 3 sentences in length
and explore the topic in sufficient depth.
�This is a direct quote from the website – be sure to place in
quotation marks – better still, parapgrase in your own words.
�Follow APA when formatting list

Be selective with sources – avoid over-using books, popular
press and web-based materials– use 3-5 recent articles (no more
than 5-6 years old) published in top-tier research journals.
Running head: QI PLAN 2
1
QI PLAN 2
7
Introduction
In healthcare systems, there are several areas that need
improvements this depends on the various hospitals, people or
culture in a given area, beliefs and various reasons too. There
are various models for improvement, in which, they have two
basic components. Does it begin by addressing various

fundamental questions, like, how can we know if a given change
is an improvement? The second part is a vigorous cycle
improvement cycle. In this part of the QI plan, we will be
dealing with a specific healthcare performance area. In this
plan that will include discussing the various models of
improvement, current technology, various benchmarks, and
milestones that organizations can implement for improvement
(Strome, 2013).
Improving Quality
Health literacy viewed as a degree to which individuals have the
capacity to obtain, understand common information that deals
with the healthcare facts and facilities. The facts related to the
basic information needed in making good and appropriate health
care decisions. Quality improvement models are hence needed
to attain a suitable health literacy in all of the health care
facilities (Carnevale, 2012). We will concentrate on the three
common models, which include the Plan-Do-Study-Act model,
the Lean model commonly referred to the Toyota model in the
business world and lastly the Six Sigma quality improvement
model.
Quality Improvement Model
Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)
The PDSA has been widely used by the Institute of the
Healthcare to make a positive change in the healthcare systems
and to affect its outcomes for positive results (Carnevale,
2012). This model is capable of impacting and assessing various
changes due to its cyclical nature. The primary objective of this
model is to derive a functional relationship between the
outcomes and the changes in the process to be specific it
concentrates on the behaviors and capabilities of the processes.
There are three main questions used before the PDSA cycle;
these are:
1. What is the aim of the project?

2. How can it be known that the aim of the project has been
reached?
3. What should be done to reach that objective of the project?
The three questions review the whole process of the Plan-Do-
Study-Act from the beginning to the end.
Six Sigma
This model originally designed as a business model or strategy.
Six Sigma involves designing, improving and monitoring
processes; this is to eliminate or minimize waste at the same
time maximizing satisfaction and also increasing the financial
stability. This process is used to find out the size of
improvement by comparing the ability process after looking at
the potential solutions for improvements and the baseline ability
process that is before the actual improvement. For Six Sigma to
be effective enough, there are two main processes. The first
method inspects the process outcome. The second process uses
the estimates to predict the performance of the process. It is
attained by calculating the sigma metric from the tolerance that
has been defined and also the observed variations (Ming-Chang
& Chang, 2012).
Lean Method
The Lean Method concentrates on the identification of the
customers’ needs. Its primary objective is to improve the
processes in the healthcare and removing various activities that
do not add value to the customer service improvement process
also known as non-value-added. The Lean method involves
maximizing the value added activities in the best process
attained. This process is related to the Six Sigma and sometimes
overlaps with it but differs from each other in the methodology
used in each. Sometimes it depends on the root-cause analysis
to find out the various errors and in improving the quality of the
processes (Carnevale, 2012).

Framework Model
From the three models, the best model is the Plan-Do-Study-Act
(PDSA) this is because it gives an individual a framework or a
good process of reaching the objective. In this method, we see
that there are three main questions answered. When answering
them one comes up with the solution at the end of the process;
the other process is good also but do not give the exact way of
improving the health literacy in the healthcare.
Information Technology Applications
Using technology to promote health literacy
Computer software: this is a technology application where there
are developed programs to help patients attend to their health
issues. For instance, the programs help patients to: stick to
restricted diets to help monitor their fat content, access exercise
programs prescribed by their doctors amongst others (Jensen,
King, Davis, & Guntzviller, 2010).
Mobile technology: availability of mobile devices such as
smartphones help patients access the rich information about
health in the Internet; this consists of health applications that
help patients manage their health issues; such apps include
those that can provide advice to the patients. Additionally, the
health phones are also helpful to doctors.
Translation tools: these are applications that help bridge
language problems by translating the language to the one
preferred by the patient, this also covers smart medical tools
that can speak to the patients.
Education videos: these are videos designed to help patients
with fear towards certain areas of medication adapt and accept
them through the video illustration. Social media: the
availability of social pages such as Facebook are very helpful to

patients because there are groups in which patients can share
information with each other.
The discussed information technology applications will greatly
help in health literacy promotion. Computer software programs
help patients monitor their health issue, therefore, accepting
their situation and embracing the solution without necessarily
being followed by a doctor. Mobile technology greatly
contributes to health literacy where the patients can access
broad information about their well-being. Additionally, they can
share apps that have helped them improve their health
conditions to others on the social media. Moreover, patients can
ask questions and get answers on the pressing issues using their
mobile phones; they can also access demonstrations through
videos, pictures and cartoons to help them know more about
health issues. Availability of translation tools help the patients
interact without the language barrier, therefore allow free flow
of health information. Hence, the patients become experts in
various fields and help their friends.
Benchmarks
For a good health literacy system, one needs to have good
benchmarks that improve the quality of measuring the system.
The importance of measuring quality improvement is using the
belief that good performance reveals good practice and
comparing the performance of various providers and
organizations, therefore, resulting in a better performance. We
can use the public reporting of a good performance to find out
the areas that need improvement of the information that deals
with the health of individuals. The healthcare systems are
complex and hence making the delivery of health services
acquire unpredictable nature. There are agencies that advocate
and endorse the measure, and use of basic healthcare
information crucial to attaining good health care service, the
Agency for Health Research and Quality is an example. This
organization advocates the determination of how best or how

the risk adjustment required and tested the measure itself. We
can use the external benchmarks, where this is the continual
disciple of comparing and measuring the work processes that
allows a good spread of the information leading to good health
literacy.
Performance and Quality Measures
Every organization has goals and strategies of attaining the
vision. Health care information is complex and hard to be
understood by the parties involved; this includes the patients
and caregivers. Consequently, there is a need for good health
information and how to convey it with visual handouts, low
literacy PowerPoints, and discussion (Grover, 2010). Heath care
literacy thus allows the organization to focus on the goals and
strategies, to allow seamless services and communication among
the parties involved to recruit more “customers” to the facility
(Carnevale, 2012). Measures are aligned to the mission and
vision of the organizations since their main aim is to attain
those specific goals, which is the case of the Wesley Nurse
program. It is a faith-based, holistic program committed to
serving the least served through collaboration, health
promotion, and education.
Reference
Carnevale, A. P., & Georgetown University. (2012). Healthcare.
Washington, D.C: Georgetown University, Georgetown Public
Policy Institute, Center on Education and the Workforce.
Devkota, B., & Buerck, J. (2012). Electronic health records and
products recall management for patient safety in health care.
Health Renaissance.
Grover, J. (2010). Healthcare. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Hamilton, B. (2009). Electronic health records. Boston:
McGraw Hill Higher Education.

Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Hristidis, V. (2010). Information discovery on electronic health
records. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis.
Jensen, J., King, A., Davis, L., & Guntzviller, L. (2010).
Utilization of internet technology by low-income adults: The
role of health literacy, health numeracy, and computer
assistance. Journal of Aging and Health, 22, 804–826. Kandula,
N. R., Nsiah-Kumi, P. A., Makoul,
Ming-Chang L. & Chang T. (2012). Combination of theory of
constraints, root cause analysis and Six Sigma for quality
improvement framework. International Journal of Productivity
and Quality Management (IJPQM), Vol. 10, No. 4,
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Bottom of Form
Rovner, J. (2003). Health care policy and politics A to Z (2nd
ed.). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Strome, T. (2013). Healthcare Analytics for Quality and
Performance Improvement. Hoboken: Wiley.

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