NURS FPX 6612 Assessment 2 Quality Improvement Proposal ​​​​​​​Quality Improvement Proposal

 

ACOs are recognized as successful in providing quality healthcare to patients with depression and can reduce preventable hospitalizations. A comparison is made between ACO and non-ACO hospitals, and findings indicate that preventable hospitalizations are much lower in ACO-affiliated healthcare settings (Barath et al., 2020). 

Establishing coordinated medical care for the broader community and population results in improved quality and safety outcomes for patients in ACOs. Accountable Care Organization is designed to address the cost and quality of healthcare services to patients. All stakeholders in the ACO healthcare setting are held responsible for the care provided to patients at affordable and reduced rates, and waste is avoided (Moy et al., 2020). 

This assessment recommends expanding an organization’s Health Information Technology (HIT) to include quality metrics. It describes the main focus of information gathering and how it contributes to guiding the development of organizational practice. It identifies potential problems that can occur in data-gathering systems. 

Recommendations to Expand HIT

Health Information Technology (HIT) is utilized to provide quality healthcare to patients at an affordable cost. It gives better access to data, filters out the most relevant information, and data analytics are available to medical practitioners and caregivers with detailed insight into patients’ complex health needs. Patients’ health records are well managed through a unique medical registration number (MRN) assigned to each patient. 

A directory of each individual is maintained with the health records, detailed examination, and medication prescribed. All healthcare staff, including doctors, paramedics, and nurses, can access the electronic folders and plan better healthcare for quality health outcomes at lower hospitalization costs.

HIT shall be expanded at full scale across the board in any healthcare setting for an organization to stay at par to cater to the healthcare needs of its patients. A suitable and easy access system shall be designed for timely patient care on time. Patients can view their health charts and detailed examinations on their mobile applications. In contrast, healthcare staff can access patient portfolios on hospital site computers, and remote access is also provided through hospital databases.

For example, a 61-year-old woman, Caroline McGlade’s Electronic Health Record (EHR), is available and contains information on her previous history, lab examinations, and diagnosis of a case of potential breast cancer. For effective management and provision of nursing care, health information technologies play a vital role in accomplishing desired quality improvement in patient outcomes (Alaei et al., 2019).