Discussion
Health care quality and safety are not solely dependent on the actions of individual providers and institutions.
A host of external forces exert a profound influence on what happens within any single organization or the behavior of any individual provider.
These external forces include accreditation bodies, regulators, legislatures, insurers, and many other entities. Sociopolitical forces, including the economy and public opinion, also play a role in how and how well health care is provided.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review this week's Learning Resources.
Choose a specific example of an external force that influences health care and safety, as discussed in Chapter 2 of your Course Text.
Post a brief description of the external force you selected. Then, analyze how it influences health care quality management. (The external force can have minimal or extensive impact on quality.) Finally, evaluate whether the impact on health care is positive or negative, providing evidence to support your position.
Support your work with specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and/or additional sources, as appropriate. Your citations must be in APA format. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.
200-300 words
Resources
Required Readings
Introduction to healthcare quality management
Chapter 2, "Quality Management Building Blocks" (pp. 13-26)
Pear, R. (2007, August 19). Medicare says it won't cover hospital errors. New York Times.
Pear, R. "Medicare says it won't cover hospital errors" Copyright 2007 by the New York Times. Reprinted by permission of the New York Times via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Epstein, A. (2006). Paying for performance in the United States and abroad. New England Journal of Medicine, 355(4), 406-408.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
Paying for performance in the United States and abroad. New England Journal of Medicine, 355(4) by Epstein, A. Copyright 2006 by the MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOCIETY. Reprinted by permission of MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOCIETY via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Wachter, R. (2010). Patient safety at ten: Unmistakable progress, troubling gaps. Health Affairs, 29(1), 165-173.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
Note: This article was also assigned in Week 1. For this week, read it again and focus on how regulation and accreditation agencies, along with reporting systems, have affected patient quality and safety goals.
Patient safety at ten: Unmistakable progress, troubling gaps. Health Affairs 29(1) by Robert M Wachter. Copyright 2010 by PROJECT HOPE/HEALTH AFFAIRS JOURNAL. Reprinted by permission of PROJECT HOPE/HEALTH AFFAIRS JOURNAL.via the Copyright Clearance Center.
O'Reilly, K. (2008). Medicare's no-pay events: Coping with the complications, American Medical News.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Public Affairs. (2006, May 18). Eliminating serious, preventable, and costly medical errors-Never events.