Reference no: EM133355260

Question A-

Scaling and sustaining improvement

Assume your tests of change( to lessen the quantity of paperwork and administrative procedures at the start of the visit) resulted in an improvement. You are ready to make recommendations about implementing at scale. What factors should you consider as you plan for scaling the improvement? Give examples of how this applies to this case.

Assume you successfully scaled the improvement and want to be sure the gains are sustained. What recommendations do you have for the health director regarding the actions to take to increase sustainability? Give examples of how this applies to this case.

Question B-

Describe how leadership could help to create a culture of excellence in the context of the scenario described in the Case. Consider Deming's 14 points for quality management in your answer.

Reference: Case scenario

The Guilford County Department of Public Health (GCDPH) in Greensboro, NC, provides family planning services to women and men. Services are offered at three different locations in the county, collectively completing approximately 7000 visits annually. Services provided include physical exams, birth control, health education, counseling, laboratory tests, pregnancy tests, and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Visits can include interaction with a number of staff including reception and intake staff, lab techs, nurses, physician assistants, and physicians.

County-specific data on the need for or use of family planning services are not routinely collected. The most recent state survey (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey) from 2016 indicates nearly half (49%) of women of reproductive age are at risk of unintended pregnancy.

GCDPH is increasingly being asked to do more without being provided more resources. They have a four-week wait time for appointments and are looking for ways to increase clinic efficiency in hopes of seeing more patients to reduce their wait time for appointments.

You were recently hired at GCDPH as a project manager and have been asked to help with this quality initiative because the health director learned you had taken a quality improvement course in your MPH program. Most of the staff working in GCDPH Family Planning Clinic have many years of experience and excellent clinical skills, but few have experience with CQI and none have an MPH.

You wisely decided the first task was to form a CQI team. The team has met and set the following aim:

We aim to increase the use of family planning services for men and women of reproductive age in Guilford County by July 2022. This is important because higher use of family planning allows spacing of pregnancies and prevents unintended pregnancies and associated health risks. We will achieve this aim by using QI methods to streamline our family clinic services, decreasing the total visit time from 2 hours to one hour. This will allow us to increase the number of patients we see per day and reduce the wait time for appointments.