Using Standards to improve the Quality of Healthcare

1. Using Standards to Improve the
Quality of Healthcare
Marie Kehoe O’Sullivan
Director of Safety and Quality Improvement
14 November2012

2. Directorates in HIQA
Safety and Quality Improvement
Regulation
Health Information
Health Technology Assessment

3. Functions
Setting Standards in health and social care
Promoting capacity and capability
Driving patient safety initiatives
Supporting a culture of patient safety
Developing Guidance to Standards

4. High Reliability Healthcare

5. The perfect storm

6. “Don’t waste a good crisis!”
First attributed to M. F. Weiner in an article in the journal Medical
Economics entitled ―Don’t Waste a Crisis — Your Patient’s or Your
Own.‖ Weiner meant by this that a medical crisis can be used to
improve aspects of personality, mental health, or lifestyle.

7. Safety
Quality
Reliability
Culture of Learning
Informed
Decision-Making

8. Systems and processes are only as
good as the people who work
within them

9. LEADERSHIP
COMMUNICATIONS
RELATIONSHIPS
CULTURE
BEHAVIOURS
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM WORKING

10. Role of Standards
It is a key driver in quality and safety
Acts as an impetus to recognise good practice and
address poor performance
Responsive Regulation
Ensures that only fit providers/professionals are
providing services, care and support
Should be fair, proportionate, risk-based and
objective

11. Monitoring
Quality and Safety
in Healthcare

12. 2012
Launch and support understanding of Standards for
Safer Better Healthcare (SBHC)
Using Standards for SBHC to monitor where concerns
2013
Full monitoring programme for Standards for SBHC
2014+
Licensing of healthcare facilities

13. Regulatory Pyramid
punishment
Shame for
inaction
Education and Persuasion
about a problem

14. Responsive Regulation
awards
Informal praise
for progress
Education and persuasion
about a strength

15. National Standards for Better Safer
Healthcare
Quality Dimensions:
• Person-Centred Care and Support
• Effective Care and Support
• Safe Care and Support
• Better Health and Well-being

16. National Standards for Better Safer
Healthcare
Delivering the Quality Dimensions – delivering
improvements within the dimensions depends on
capability and capacity in four key areas:
• Leadership, Governance and Management
• Workforce
• Use of Resources
• Use of Information

17. National
Standards
for Safer
Better
Healthcare:
Themes

18. Working with
Regulators

19. Working with Regulators
Imperative that regulators work together to improve
quality and safety and reduce burden
Health and Social Care Regulatory Forum
Memoranda of Understanding: Health and Safety
Authority, Medical Council, CORU…
Joint inspections where appropriate

20. Working
Together

21. Opportunities for Working Together – The How
Regular engagement and information sharing
Involvement and consultation on the development of
new activities
Informing required guidance
Open door for discussions on improving quality and
safety
Provide education, awareness and training on QI
methodologies
Promote national QI initiatives

22. Opportunities for Working Together – The Who
Clinical Engagement as a priority
Link with all professional colleges
Link with unions
Meetings with CMO, CNO, Pharmacist, Ambulance and
allied health professionals
Ongoing relationship with frontline staff and middle
management on Patient Safety and Quality initiatives

23. ―Quality is never an accident. It is always the
result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent
direction and skilful execution. It represents the
wise choice of many alternatives. . .
Quality also marks the search for an ideal after
necessity has been satisfied and mere usefulness
achieved.‖
William A. Foster, 1917-1945