Open AccessAdvancing the Culture of Patient Safety and Quality Improvement<sup>CME</sup>
Author(s) -
Thomas E. MacGillivray
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
methodist debakey cardiovascular journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.552
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1947-6094
pISSN - 1947-6108
DOI - 10.14797/mdcj-16-3-192
Subject(s) - medicine , unintended consequences , health care , patient safety , accountability , quality management , quality (philosophy) , quality assurance , nursing , health care reform , health care quality , service (business) , public relations , public health , medical emergency , health policy , business , marketing , external quality assessment , philosophy , pathology , political science , law , economics , economic growth , epistemology
The American health care system has many great successes, but there continue to be opportunities for improving quality, access, and cost. The fee-for-service health care paradigm is shifting toward value-based care and will require accountability around quality assurance and cost reduction. As a result, many health care entities are rallying health care providers, administrators, regulators, and patients around a national imperative to create a culture of safety and develop systems of care to improve health care quality. However, the culture of patient safety and quality requires rigorous assessment of outcomes, and while numerous data collection and decision support tools are available to assist in quality assessment and performance improvement, the public reporting of this data can be confusing to patients and physicians alike and result in unintended negative consequences. This review explores the aims of health care reform, the national efforts to create a culture of quality and safety, the principles of quality improvement, and how these principles can be applied to patient care and medical practice.