Open AccessDevelopment and Progress of a Collaborative Learning Model for Quality Improvement in the Field of Palliative Care in India
Author(s) -
Nandini Vallath,
Michelle De Natale,
Karl Lorenz,
Sushma Bhatnagar,
Jake Mickelsen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
indian journal of palliative care/indian journal of palliative care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1998-3735
pISSN - 0973-1075
DOI - 10.25259/ijpc_414_20
Subject(s) - social connectedness , palliative care , medicine , quality (philosophy) , quality management , nursing , service (business) , health care , field (mathematics) , quality of life (healthcare) , process management , knowledge management , psychology , business , psychotherapist , computer science , marketing , philosophy , mathematics , epistemology , economic growth , economics , pure mathematics
Quality is central to healthcare and even more so in the field of palliative care. Palliative care approach is centered around discovering facets of care crucial to improving the quality of life of the patient; be it symptom control, emotional concerns, impact on social roles or reviving the sense of spiritual connectedness. Although there are essential and desirable standards for quality of services, the journey taken by a service, toward quality improvement (QI), is often complex and uncharted. It is up to individual service units to strive toward improvement and reach higher levels of quality. Evidence suggests using a structured methodology for successful improvement in healthcare quality, as most problems are complex and multifaceted. This article introduces the concept and application of QI methodology in the field of palliative care in India and provides an overview of the first cohort of QI projects, facilitated through an international collaborative. The sequence of training, the tools, and the key ingredients for success are enumerated.