To build a robust quality programme, quality managers should ask themselves 5 key questions. We use this framework at Tendable regularly with our partners, including at our most recent QEE
WHAT? risks are you trying to mitigate with your audit programme
WHO? should be involved in the quality programme
WHERE? within your organisation should audits be completed
WHEN? should data be captured against your audit themes
WHY? should staff capture and review quality data
Using this framework you can ensure your quality audit programme meets the core fundamentals of an effective process. Within this blog, we will be focusing on Who? and how you can engage the wider workforce.
WHO?
Research by the Health Foundation has shown that quality improvement with high degrees of staff involvement have more impact and are more sustainable.
To achieve high staff engagement, there are some basic strategies you can employ.
These include:
- Ensuring staffing levels and staff experience are adequate
- Building a high trust environment
- Avoid hierarchical tensions through support from senior staff
- Make use of easy-to-use solutions
Evidence suggests that involving more staff in process of auditing not only enhances the accuracy and relevance of the audits but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement, leading to better healthcare outcomes and higher staff morale.
We should be democratising quality
Access to quality care should not be a privilege. Achieving quality care requires consistent quality improvement, which should engage your front-line teams, through effective inspection, reporting and action plans. Our solution ensures that all front-line staff are equipped with the tools that can contribute to providing effective care, and demonstrating this to healthcare regulators.
3 Key Learnings:
- Building a culture of continuous learning and improvement is essential for improving quality, efficiency and effectiveness
- Learning health systems enable staff to engage through communities and networks along with mechanisms, spaces and support for convening, deliberating and sharing knowledge
- Better use of data has huge potential to improve the quality, safety and cost effectiveness of care and address unwarranted variation across the health system
To find out how we can revitalise your audit programme - reach out to our team!
