My practice problem for the below assignment is paper charting.
- identify why paper charting is a wasteful practice and how eliminating this practice may improve healthcare. Also define quality and apply your definition of quality to the work of a major theorist listed in the attached file
Post your definition of quality, and apply it to the work of one major quality theorist (e.g., Donabedian, Juran, Deming, Triple Aim (IHI) – Berwick). Identify a practice problem that you have had some experience with as a practitioner and explain how eliminating wasteful practices could have improved the experience. Include how your definition of quality applies to that experience.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature. Your posts need to be written at the capstone level.
Notes Initial Post: This should be a 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidence from the readings and include in-text citations. Utilize essay-level writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional material and organizational frames. Avoid quotes; paraphrase to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference list is required. Use the most current evidence (usually ≤ 5 years old).
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The use of paper charting in the medical field has long been a topic of debate among healthcare professionals. As a medical professor, I have found the issue of paper charting to be a critical topic of discussion in my classes. In this assignment, we will discuss why paper charting is a wasteful practice and how eliminating this practice may improve healthcare. Also, we will define quality and apply the definition of quality to the work of a major theorist listed in the attached file.
Answer:
Paper charting is a wasteful practice in the medical field as it leads to a significant amount of time and resources being allocated to documenting patient data, which can be efficiently executed by the use of electronic health records (EHRs). EHRs offer several advantages over paper charting, including faster and more accurate documentation, improved patient safety, and more efficient communication among healthcare providers. Eliminating the use of paper charting in medical facilities can lead to better healthcare due to reduced errors, quick access to accurate patient information, better healthcare coordination among healthcare professionals, and improved patient outcomes.
Quality in healthcare refers to the level of care provided to patients that meet or exceed their expectations. The definition of quality is subjective and varies depending on the perspective of the stakeholders involved. One major quality theorist is W. Edwards Deming, who developed the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM). According to Deming, quality is a continuous process of improvement that involves measuring and working towards the continuous improvement of patient outcomes. Quality in healthcare is characterized by specific criteria including efficiency, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, safety, and timeliness.
As a practitioner, one practice problem that I have experienced is the process of medication reconciliation during admission and discharge of patients. Eliminating wasteful practices in medication reconciliation such as paper charting and handwritten prescriptions can lead to improved patient outcomes, increased patient safety, and a reduction in medication errors. The definition of quality applies to this experience in the sense that healthcare providers need to work towards managing medication to ensure optimal outcomes that meet or exceed patients’ expectations. The use of electronic prescribing and comprehensive electronic medical records can improve communication between healthcare providers thereby reducing errors and improving outcomes.
In conclusion, the elimination of paper charting in the medical field can go a long way in improving healthcare, reducing errors, and increasing patient outcomes. Quality in healthcare refers to the level of care provided, which meets or exceeds stakeholders’ expectations. The application of quality management theories to healthcare practices can help to drive efficiency, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, safety, and timeliness in healthcare.
