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Improving Quality Improvement Models
Author(s) -
Maxwell David J,
Graudins Linda,
Kaye Karen I
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy practice and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2055-2335
pISSN - 1445-937X
DOI - 10.1002/j.2055-2335.2006.tb00587.x
Subject(s) - medicine , quality management , health care , quality (philosophy) , process (computing) , process management , test (biology) , project commissioning , clinical practice , risk analysis (engineering) , operations management , publishing , nursing , computer science , engineering , paleontology , management system , philosophy , epistemology , economics , biology , economic growth , operating system , law , political science
Background The quality of health care can be improved through the monitoring, evaluation, reporting and feedback of current practice. Drug use evaluation methodology has been used for many years as a process for improving health care through the optimisation of prescribing practice. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement 'Breakthrough Series' has also been promoted widely as a useful tool for improving health care. Aim The aim of this paper is to familiarise readers with these methods, by analysing similarities and differences, and qualitatively evaluating their merits as quality improvement tools. Discussion Although both methods involve similar activities (identifying desired practice, measuring current practice, developing and implementing changes, feeding back into the process) there are differences in the application of each model in the healthcare setting that should be considered when planning quality improvement activities. We hypothesise that synergy may be achieved by combining elements of both approaches. Conclusion Further research is required to test if a combination of these methods results in effective and sustainable improvements in the quality of medicines use and measurable improvements in healthcare outcomes.