Offers an approach to specific topics such as the implementation of managerial goals, instructions for developing accurate measurements for evaluating care, and guidelines for the complex integration of collaborative services in health care. This work is useful for the health services professional.

Figures and Tables. Foreword. Author’s Note. Preface. The Authors. 1. The Role of the Manager. 2. Managing Quality. 3. Information and Prioritization. 4. Managing Quality Data. 5. Using Quality Tools and Statistical Methods for Data Analysis. 6. Translating Information into Action. 7. Working with Guidelines. 8. Communication and Accountability. 9. To Err Is Indeed Human. 10. Working Together. Conclusion. Bibliography. Name Index.

The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations This important book is a practical, theory-based resource on the topic of health care quality management written for health care administrators and practitioners. It offers the tools needed to help managers make decisions, prioritize resources (financial and human), and analyze and improve the care they deliver. The Handbook offers a hands-on approach to specific topics such as the implementation of managerial goals, instructions for developing accurate measurements for evaluating care, the utilization of data as a basis for process improvement, exploration of quality management tools and techniques, guidelines for the complex integration of collaborative services in health care, and methods for effective communication and improving accountability. In addition, the book is filled with illustrative examples of methods for ensuring appropriate oversight of clinical and quality activities, offers solutions for addressing and preventing adverse events, and explores the important people-to-people interactions that ultimately define excellence in medical care. Praise for The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations "The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations offers students of health care policy and management a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from one of the nation’s leading experts in health care quality. Dr. Dlugacz’s passion for promoting the highest ideals of quality in health care should inspire future generations of health care professionals." –Alan M. Leiken, chair, Department of Health Care Policy and Management, School of Health Care Policy and Management, School of Health Technology and Management, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook "This outstanding book combines both the quantitative aspects of data collection and analysis with the critical human behaviors that make up a health care institution’s culture. Only when these two factors combine do true ‘quality’ decisions and patient care result." –Stuart R. Levine, author, The Six Fundamentals of Success "The Quality Handbook reflects the authors’ combination of technical know-how, years of experience, and the enthusiasm for the complex challenge of their work." –Margaret E. O’Kane, president, National Committee of Quality Assurance

“The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations offers students of health care policy and management a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from one of the nation’s leading experts in health care quality. Dr. Dlugacz’s passion for promoting the highest ideals of quality in health care should inspire future generations of health care professionals.” —Alan M. Leiken, chair, Department of Health Care Policy and Management, School of Health Care Policy and Management, School of Health Technology and Management, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook “This outstanding book combines both the quantitative aspects of data collection and analysis with the critical human behaviors that make up a health care institution’s culture. Only when these two factors combine do true ‘quality’ decisions and patient care result.” —Stuart R. Levine, author, The Six Fundamentals of Success “The Quality Handbook reflects the authors’ combination of technical know-how, years of experience, and the enthusiasm for the complex challenge of their work.” —Margaret E. O’Kane, president, National Committee of Quality Assurance

Chapter 1: Foundations of Quality Management -- A brief historical overview of QM -- from Nightingale to JCAHO -- Unique characteristics of healthcare QM (as opposed to industrial models) Chapter 2: Quality Management Imperatives -- Focus on Patient Safety (IOM, Leapfrog, JCAHO) -- Educated consumer -- A buyer's market -- Evaluating care - increased pressures and expectations -- Improved processes and organizations -- Relating process to regulation and outcomes -- Developing a cost-effective Quality model -- Improving care at the bedside -- Defining "excellence" Chapter 3: Leading Quality Projects -- The role of leadership -- Professional staff buy-in -- Balancing quality/finance/HR -- Understanding appropriateness of care/services -- Prioritizing resources -- Evaluating care-learning to ask the right questions -- Communication and accountability -- Strategic planning Chapter 4: Measuring and Evaluating Quality Projects -- Evaluating interaction between caregiver and patient -- Defining scope of care -- Identifying variables -- Building blocks of quality information -- Prioritization tools -- Working with Quality data (using case studies) -- Criteria for establishing indicators -- issues with definitions -- sources of data -- subjective/objective -- retrospective/concurrent -- -- how and when to use different types of data -- -- collection methodologies -- establishing databases Chapter 5: Interpreting Quality data -- Aggregating over time -- Across departments, within services, hospital units -- Determining sample size -- Analytic tools -- Control charts, histogram, Pareto diagram -- Measurements as Report Card -- Clinical guidelines/disease management -- How to create guidelines -- Interpreting variance data -- Evaluation and decision-making -- Implementation and application Chapter 6: From Interpretation to Action -- Performance improvement (case studies) -- PDCA methodology -- establishing best practices Chapter 7: Accountability and Communication -- Quality management structure -- Committees -- Teams -- Developing partnerships -- Coordinating care -- Balancing multiple points of view -- Responsibilities, information -- From hospital to system to hospital - standardizing and integrating care Chapter 8: Incident Analysis: When Bad Things Happen To Good Hospitals -- Analytic tools(case studies) -- Cause/effect fishbone -- Timeline -- Flow chart -- Root cause analysis -- Lessons learned -- Outcomes -- Benchmarking -- Communicating improvements Chapter 9: Using QM to Promote Patient Safety (case studies) -- Specific initiative examples: -- latex, detox, pressure ulcers, ems, medication error reduction -- Working together -- environment of care, risk management, engineering, infection control, employee injury, etc. Chapter 10: Quality Research and Beyond -- Lessons learned -- New tools, analytic models -- CareMaps -- Empowering the patient -- Ethics -- Policy decisions