COURSE INFORMATION

This CE course is designed for the working supervisors, assistant managers and department managers and for those who aspire to hold these positions in their healthcare organization. In addition, Nurses practicing in the Legal field and as Cases Managers can benefit from this course. We recognize that managers with a non-quality background also need a sound understanding of the concepts of health care quality management and measurement. Understanding quality processes is paramount to managing your department so your organization can provide optimal care to your patients.  Our goal is to provide a foundation, with sufficient guidance, and enough information about Quality management, in the context of health care, for both prospective and sitting managers to be successful in the daily running of their departments and understand how to measure their performance. An understanding of quality tools and methodology will prepare students to select appropriate performance standards in the environments they work in.

Course Code: HM 560. Contact hours of Continuing Education = 30.

Level of Complexity: Intermediate

Instructor/Course Author:  Mark C. Barabas, BS, DHA, FACHE

Link to Resume

E-mail: mcbarabas@aol.com

TEXTBOOK: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Introduction to Health Care Quality, Yousef D. Dlugacz.

ISBN- 9781118777916, Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (2017)

Link to Purchase on Amazon.com: click here

TIME FRAME: You are allotted two years from the date of enrollment, to complete this course. There are no set time-frames, other than the two year allotted time. If you do not complete the course within the two-year time-frame, you will be removed from the course and an “incomplete” will be recorded for you in our records. Also, if you would like to complete the course after this two-year expiration time, you would need to register and pay the course tuition fee again.

GRADING: You must achieve a passing score of at least 70% to complete this course and receive the 30 hours of awarded continuing education credit. There are no letter grades assigned. You will receive notice of your total % score. Those who score below the minimum of 70% will be contacted by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals and options for completing additional course work to achieve a passing score, will be presented.

BOARD APPROVALS: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals (The Provider) is approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses, Provider number # CEP 15595 for 30 Contact Hours. Access information

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing  Provider # 50-11975.

OTHER STATE BOARDS OF NURSING

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Kentucky Board of Nursing CE Provider # 50-11975.

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.

Course Refund & AIHCP Policies: access here

ONLINE CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND TOOLS

* Examination Access: there is link to take you right to the online examination program where you can print out your examination and work with it. All examinations are formatted as “open book” tests. When you are ready, you can access the exam program at anytime and click in your responses to the questions. Full information is provided in the online classrooms.

* Student Resource Center: there is a link for access to a web page “Student Resource Center.” The Resource Center provides for easy access to all of our policies/procedures and additional information regarding applying for certification. We also have many links to many outside reference sites, such as online libraries that you may freely access.

* Online Evaluation: there is a link in the classroom where you may access the course evaluation. All students completing a course, must, without exception, complete the course evaluation.

* Faculty Access Information: you will have access to your instructor’s online resume/biography, as well as your instructor’s specific contact information.

* Additional Learning Materials: All course handouts are available in the online Video classrooms. All E-Learning Books are available in the classrooms for students to download.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Understand issues involved in defining the concept of quality in health care
2. Introduce important quality theorists
3. Describe quality methodologies
4. Explain the role of agencies and groups that have an impact on health care quality
5. Review the role of data as the foundation of quality management
6. Understand the goals of health care reform and the Affordable Care Act
7. Define the challenges to health care professionals working in the reform environment
8. Outline new models of providing and financing care
9. Discuss the advantages and challenges involved in health information technology
10. Explain new techniques for improving communication in the health care setting
11. Understand the rationale for changing traditional processes of care delivery
12. Define the role of quality metrics and analytics for improving care
13. Describe the role of leaders in creating an environment for change
14. Explain the relationship between effective communication and culture change
15. Highlight the impact of reporting of quality measures
16. Describe the importance of assessing the patient experience
17. Illustrate how dashboards can be used for objective decision making
18. Compare the analytic value of different kinds of data
19. Outline innovations in care for managing chronic illness across the continuum
20. Define techniques and processes developed to improve communication in the health care
21. Understand issues involved in establishing a patient safety culture
22. Recognize contemporary thinking about adverse events
23. Analyze the role of clinical, administrative and nursing leadership in culture change
24. Discuss monitoring patient safety with quality data
25. Describe how effective communication improves care across the continuum
26. Define the appropriate steps involved in investigating a problem
27. Understand the value of quality tools; cause and effect diagrams and flow charts
28. Identify appropriate graphics to display quality information
29. Learn basic methods of describing data
30. Improve care delivery through root cause analysis and failure mode and effects analysis
31. Describe the advantages of clinical guidelines to the organization and patient
32. Understand the PDSA methodology for implementing improvements
33. Understand the distinction between collecting measures for compliance and for PI
34. Highlight issues for accurately defining, collecting, standardizing and interrupting data
35. Recognize issues involved in managing at risk populations and chronic disease patients
36. Appreciate the importance of monitoring variation from the standard
37. Realize the implications of publicly reported measures
38. Understand how measurements are essential for monitoring and improving care
39. Describe how measures are used by physicians, administrators and patients
40. Recognize how measures can improve processes and identify gaps in care
41. Realize the importance of P4P
42. Define how measurements can address patient satisfaction issues
43. Visualize the process of care through dashboard reports
44. Link patient safety, good clinical outcomes and environment of care via measurements
45. Understand how quality data is use for performance improvement
46. Determine effective methods for managing throughput and alleviate bottlenecks
47. Recognize the clinical, financial and quality issues related to mortality
48. Analyze issues related to readmission
49. Communicate the value of performance measures throughout the organization
50. Linking quality measures to financial success
51. Integration of quality management professionals with Senior Leadership
52. Culture change is required to sustain performance improvement
53. Effective Communication is required to improve quality and safety
54. Oversight and accountability must be carefully defined for successful processes
55. Measurements should reflect the values of the organization
56. A quality work ethic must be integrated with data collection, team building and patient safety processes

COURSE CONTENT ABSTRACT