Contribution of Healthcare Professionals in Issues that Relate to Quality Management

Abstract

Background: The health sector should adopt integrated quality systems because of the need to survive and develop in a highly competitive environment. Inefficiency of mechanistic procedures, along with inadequate administrative infrastructure, impose innovative appoaches to improve operations and increase revenues by reducing quality feilures. Objective: A health system that relies on quality healthcare services can directly benefit the entire society, may reduce mortality, disease severity, and increase life expectancy. The following literature review constitutes an attempt to assess the contribution of healthcare professionals in issues that relate to quality management over the course of recent years. Methods: This systematic review took place between May 2019 and June 2020 in the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wiley Online Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus search engine databases. Study Selection and Data Extraction: This review includes articles written in English language, which contain quantitative and qualitative analysis of healthcare professionals’ involvement in quality activities. Correspondingly, the exclusion criteria were: languages other than English, secondary surveys (general and systematic reviews or post-analyses), letters to the publisher, and editorials or articles that did not illuminate the subject under study. After an extensive literature review, a standardised Excel spreadsheet was developed for data extraction from the included studies. The main characteristics of the studies were recorded (author’s name, place and time of work, the article under study and the methodology) so that all research articles corresponding to the review could be included. 31 articles were included. Results: Healthcare professionals are engaged in quality improvement activities and there is high association between quality management strategies and clinical processes. A systematic approach on healthcare activities based on the input of healthcare professionals can help increase business performance, reduce errors, improve patient safety, and contribute to a more proactive care. Conclusion: Health professionals’ contribution in the strategic planning of healthcare organisations that address quality activities can lead to better output, both in patient satisfaction and safety.

Cornerstones of a sustainable national quality policy: A qualitative study based on international expert opinions

“…Besides, different healthcare providers and healthcare institutions get the feeling that quality is imposed on them and are less motivated to create their own bottom‐up quality system 8,9 . This might be detrimental to patient safety, as a recent review has demonstrated that healthcare professionals' contribution to quality can lead to improved patient safety 10 …”

“…8,9 This might be detrimental to patient safety, as a recent review has demonstrated that healthcare professionals' contribution to quality can lead to improved patient safety. 10 In Flanders, Belgium, a coalition government agreement was established in 2009 as the basis for quality in acute-care hospitals. 11 This agreement introduced a 'Quality-of-Care Triad' consisting of three main components: voluntary hospital-wide accreditation by an international external agency, voluntary measurement and public BROUWERS Et al.…”

Transforming Hospital Quality Improvement Through Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence

“…AI creates more opportunities for frontline healthcare staff to efficiently engage in direct patient care. [ 31 ] This optimization of workflows and resource allocation encompasses aspects,[ 32 ] including predicting patient volumes,[ 33 ] aiding appointment management,[ 34 ] facilitating communication, addressing supply chain demands,[ 35 ] ensuring equitable workload distribution,[ 36 ] optimizing staff schedules,[ 36 ] and automating processes. [ 37 ] These improvements also extend to appointment scheduling,[ 34 ] electronic check-ins at medical facilities,[ 38 ] automated reminders for follow-up appointments,[ 39 ] and immunization schedules for children,[ 40 ] as well as the usage of AI-driven algorithms for determining drug dosages and issuing warnings regarding potential adverse effects when prescribing combinations of multiple medications.…”

Conflict Management in Healthcare Leadership; A Narrative Review

“…Treating the team members with dignity and improving their self-worth is necessary to control their negative behaviors. Healthcare leaders must provide clear instructions to contenders regarding their improvement areas while maintaining the confidentiality of their performance reviews [76]. This measure is essential to strengthen their sense of professional growth while safeguarding their identity.…”

“…The prompt anticipation of employee responses, while addressing professional conflicts, is paramount to deciding the next steps for their effective resolution [75]. The establishment of open feedback channels is the final step to improve transparency and develop potential measures for diffusing workplace conflicts [76].…”