Using Standards to Improve the Quality of Healthcare

Marie Kehoe O’Sullivan Director of Safety and Quality Improvement

14 November2012

Directorates in HIQA

Safety and Quality Improvement

Regulation

Health Information

Health Technology Assessment

Functions

Setting Standards in health and social carePromoting capacity and capabilityDriving patient safety initiativesSupporting a culture of patient safetyDeveloping Guidance to Standards

High Reliability Healthcare

The perfect storm

Falling budgets

Increasing demand

“Don’t waste a good crisis!”

First attributed to M. F. Weiner in an article in the journal Medical Economics entitled “Don’t Waste a Crisis — Your Patient’s or Your Own.” Weiner meant by this that a medical crisis can be used to improve aspects of personality, mental health, or lifestyle.

Safety

Quality

Reliability

Culture of Learning

Informed Decision-Making

Systems and processes are only as good as the people

who work within them

COMMUNICATIONS

LEADERSHIP

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM WORKING

BEHAVIOURS

CULTURERELATIONSHIPS

Role of Standards

It is a key driver in quality and safetyActs as an impetus to recognise good practice and address poor performance

Responsive RegulationEnsures that only fit providers/professionals are providing services, care and supportShould be fair, proportionate, risk-based and objective

Monitoring Quality and

Safety in Healthcare

2012Launch and support understanding of Standards for Safer Better Healthcare (SBHC)Using Standards for SBHC to monitor where concerns

2013Full monitoring programme for Standards for SBHC

2014+Licensing of healthcare facilities

Regulatory Pyramid

punishment

Shame for inaction

Education and Persuasion about a problem

Responsive Regulation

awards

Informal praise for progress

Education and persuasion about a strength

National Standards for Better Safer Healthcare

Quality Dimensions:• Person-Centred Care and Support

• Effective Care and Support

• Safe Care and Support

• Better Health and Well-being

National Standards for Better Safer Healthcare

Delivering the Quality Dimensions – delivering improvements within the dimensions depends on capability and capacity in four key areas:

• Leadership, Governance and Management• Workforce• Use of Resources• Use of Information

National Standards

for Safer Better

Healthcare:

Themes

Working with

Regulators

Working with Regulators

Imperative that regulators work together to improve quality and safety and reduce burdenHealth and Social Care Regulatory ForumMemoranda of Understanding: Health and Safety Authority, Medical Council, CORU…Joint inspections where appropriate

Working Together

Opportunities for Working Together – The How

Regular engagement and information sharingInvolvement and consultation on the development of new activitiesInforming required guidanceOpen door for discussions on improving quality and safetyProvide education, awareness and training on QI methodologiesPromote national QI initiatives

Opportunities for Working Together – The Who

Clinical Engagement as a priorityLink with all professional collegesLink with unionsMeetings with CMO, CNO, Pharmacist, Ambulance and allied health professionalsOngoing relationship with frontline staff and middle management on Patient Safety and Quality initiatives

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort,

intelligent direction and skilful execution. It represents the wise choice of many

alternatives. . .

 

Quality also marks the search for an ideal after necessity has been satisfied and

mere usefulness achieved.”

William A. Foster, 1917-1945