A Strategic Quality Initiative and Its Opportunities to Improve Healthcare Environment

Tark, Kwan-Chul; Park, Hyun-Ju; Park, Chang-Il; Kang, Jin-Kyung

Journal of Korean Society Quality Assurance Health Care 1998;5(2): 324.
Published online December 30, 1998.

진료환경개선을 위한 우선적 전략과제 설정 및 그 적용

탁관철, 박현주, 박창일, 강진경

연세대학교 의과대학 세브란스병원

A Strategic Quality Initiative and Its Opportunities to Improve Healthcare Environment

Kwan-Chul Tark, Hyun-Ju Park, Chang-Il Park, Jin-Kyung Kang

Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Medical Center

Abstract

Background
Strategic planning is an organizationwide or systemwide, ongoing look into the future usually of 2~3 years, based on objective analysis of the current environment and trends, but it can incorporate both short-term and long-term goals. The strategic planning process includes external analysis, internal analysis, issue analysis, development of mission, vision and values, and lastly development of organizational goals and objectives. As a part of the strategic quality planning process, certain service lines, important organizationwide functions, or key processes supporting these functions can be prioritized to expedite and roll out certain strategic goals. This is called strategic quality initiatives.
Methods
We organized a quality improvement team, a subgroup of 21st century vision planning corps of our medical center, and pursued QI activities for improvement of healthcare environment, particularly in the admission setting. We developed a strategic quality initiative based on the results of patient satisfaction surveys, and carried out functions of self-directed work team.
Results
The strategic goal was to be the benchmark for peer group hospitals in Korea for providing cost-effective best-practice. The QI team included 3 medical doctors, 1 nurse, 1 social worker, and 1 QI consultant as well as many operational members to support services and quality initiatives met every Tuesday for 18 weeks. Outcome objectives were to improve patient satisfaction score. The issues included in the objectives were comfort, temperature, noise, cleanliness of the admission wards, quality and education of patient meals, matters regarding the admission process, and an appurtenant facility such as restaurant or convenience store. Every issue was discussed and recommendations, conclusions and opportunities were implemented. Conclusions : By developing a strategic quality initiative as a part of the strategic quality planning process, and pursuing a self-directed work team, certain sen/ice lines, important organizationwide functions, or key processes supporting these functions can be improved effectively within a short period. Strategic quality initiatives serve to support, or roll out, certain strategic goals that are relevant to performance improvement and development of specific measurable outcome objectives, and associated performance measure for each initiative. Each strategic quality initiative should include a statement of intent outcome objectives, and performance measures. We will come back with follow up of the strategic quality initiative, for improvement of healthcare environment, and results of patient satisfaction re-survey.

Key words strategic quality initiative;strategic planning;improvement of healthcare environment;outcome objectives;performance measures;opportunities to improve;