PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P L Spath

Publications and source records attributed to P L Spath.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Quality management forces computerization decisions.

It is unlikely the quality management program of the future will be able to effect quality improvements without sophisticated information management tools, one of which is the computer. While computerization is not required by the Joint Commission's Performance Assessment and Improvement Standard nor the Information Management Standard, both standards compel organizations to improve their information system capabilities. If the hospital quality management office attempts to survive without computerization, its ability to manipulate the many data elements required for measurement, assessment and improvement will be severely limited. Begin now to plan your computerization strategy.

Data Display↗
PubMed1991

What is a "commitment to quality"?

Healthcare leaders are measuring one another's dedication to total quality management in order to recognize outstanding achievements. This article describes the application process and judging criteria used in the Healthcare Forum/Witt Associates' Commitment to Quality Award.

Awards and Prizes↗
PubMed1985

Are we overwhelming physicians with medical record review?

The importance of the medical record as a communication tool and as evidence of treatment demands the systematic evaluation of record adequacy. In fact, standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals require such a review. Yet in some hospitals, medical record review is perceived as nothing more than a paper exercise. What might medical record practitioners do to minimize the time required for an effective record review? The author suggests methods proven successful at a small hospital in Oregon.

Documentation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Flow charting for quality improvement.

This article analyzes the merits of flow charts in their relatively new application to healthcare quality management. Specific examples are given that show how a step-by-step diagram can clarify policies and procedures. Patrice Spath explains "imagineering," a technique for problem identification that compares the steps that a process actually follows with a flow chart of what steps the process should follow. In the discrepancies between the two, problems are revealed. Warnings are given that each detail in a flow chart must pertain to its actual subject and that pictorial symbols should be simple and clear. The author lists some software packages that allow flexibility and speed in flow charting. As a tool for discovering redundancies and inefficiencies, the flow chart is a valuable method for refining quality systems.

Hospital Administration↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Path-based patient care should build quality into the process.

Clinical paths can help caregivers "do the right thing the first time" for the individual patient. They also can help to continually improve the system of providing care for future patients. By comparing what should be happening (according to the clinical path) with what actually is happening, the healthcare team can design an effective plan for patient care. By gathering data about the patient care experience, the healthcare team can redesign care for future patients. This article describes important concurrent and retrospective activities of path-based patient care and the ways in which healthcare providers are using clinical paths to improve patient outcomes.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Critical paths: maximizing patient care coordination.

1. With today's emphasis on horizontal and vertical integration of patient care services and the new initiatives prompted by these challenges, OR nurses are considering new methods for managing the perioperative period. One such method is the critical path. 2. A critical path defines an optimal sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff members for a particular diagnosis or procedure, designed to better use resources, maximize quality of care, and minimize delays. 3. Hospitals implementing path-based patient care have reported cost reductions and improved team-work. Critical paths have been shown to reduce patient care costs by improving hospital efficiency, not merely by reducing physician practice variations.

Continuity of Patient Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nursing performance measures go public.

Over 100 years ago, Florence Nightingale showed caregivers how to analyze mortality data to improve their clinical processes. The nurses of today are facing a new performance measurement challenge. Consumers of health care services want information that will help them compare quality among providers. This article describes the types of nursing performance measures most appropriate to include on these public-oriented report cards and several issues that influence report card design and dissemination.

Health Care Costs↗