Rapid impact assessment of The Productive Ward

"This Rapid Impact Assessment explores the efficiency and productivity improvements The Productive Ward programme can make across the NHS."

Rapid impact assessment of The Productive Ward: Releasing time to care
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
January 2011

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United Kingdom (England) health system review

"The Health Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide a detailed description of a health system and of reform and policy initiatives in progress or under development in a specific country."

United Kingdom (England) health system review
Sean Boyle
Health Systems in Transition, 2011 13(1)
European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

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High-value, cost-conscious health care

"This article discusses 3 key concepts for understanding how to assess the value of health care interventions."

High-value, cost-conscious health care: concepts for clinicians to evaluate the benefits, harms, and costs of medical interventions
DK Owens, A Qaseem, R Chou, P Shekelle
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2011, 154(6):174-180

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If you cannot access the full record, please use your NHS Athens username and password  or contact the Royal Free Medical Library.

Can we save money by improving quality

"This paper uses research evidence to assess the contribution that quality-improvement can make as a central component of cost reduction."

Can we save money by improving quality
M Marshall, J Ovretveit
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011, 20(4):293-296

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If you cannot access the full record, please use your NHS Athens username and password  or contact the Royal Free Medical Library.

Many of the other articles in this issue focus on quality-improvement collaboratives.

Lessons from the Productive Ward

"Given the quality and cost challenge currently facing the NHS, it is critical that improvement programmes are implemented quickly, on a large-scale and assimilated and sustained in routine practice."

Implementing and sustaining change in the contemporary NHS: lessons from the Productive Ward
National Nursing Research Unit
March 2011

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Case studies: Safer Patients Initiative

To find out how the "Our Safer Patients Initiative" programme has been working, the Health Foundation has committed a number of case studies.

Safer Patients Initiative: case studies
The Health Foundation
March 2011

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Calculating the 2011-12 National Tariff

"The purpose of this guide is therefore to describe the iterations of the tariff calculation lifecycle, ie how the Department has calculated the 2011-12 mandatory national tariffs."

Step-by-step guide: Calculating the 2011-12 National Tariff
Department of Health
March 2011

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Ten years of jointly commissioning health and social care in England

"This article reviews the experience of joint commissioning across health and social care over the past decade in England."

Ten years of jointly commissioning health and social care in England
B Hudson
International Journal of Integrated Care 11, Special 10th Anniversary Edition

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Management of NHS hospital productivity

This is the 26th report of session 2010-11 from the House of Commons Committe of Public Accounts.

Management of NHS hospital productivity
House of Commons
March 2011

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NHS reforms in England: managing the transition

"This Nuffield Trust sets out the key challenges associated with managing the transition to a reformed NHS, as envisaged in the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (Department of Health 2010a) and proposes ways in which the risks associated with transition might be mitigated."

NHS reforms in England: managing the transition
J Smith, A Charlesworth
Nuffield Trust
March 2011

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Quality governance in the NHS

"This guide considers how to govern for quality, both in terms of driving continuous improvement across the organisation and ensuring that the essential levels of quality and safety are met."

Quality governance in the NHS - a guide for provider boards
National Quality Board
March 2011

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Maintaining and improving quality during the transition

"In this report, we take the opportunity to restate how healthcare professionals working at the front line are ultimately responsible for ensuring patients receive high quality care and how it is their professional duty to speak up if they have concerns."

Maintaining and improving quality during the transition: safety, effectiveness, experience: Part One - 2011-12
National Quality Board
March 2011

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The medium-term sustainability of organisational innovations in the National Health Service

"The study will involve research in four case-study sites around England, each of which was successful in sustaining its new model of service provision beyond an initial period of pilot funding for new genetics services provided by the Department of Health."

The medium-term sustainability of organisational innovations in the National Health Service
GP Martin, G Currie, R Finn, R McDonald
Implementation Science, 2011 6:19

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Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare

"The objectives of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative are to close the gap between what we know and what we do, and to contribute to continuous quality improvement (CQI) of healthcare through collaborative learning."

Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare: an analysis of the reports of improvement team members
A Skard Brandrud, A Schreiner, P Hjortdahl, G Saevil Helljesen, B Nyen, EC Nelson
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011 20(3):251-259

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Reconfiguring hospital services

"Reconfiguring Hospital Services: Lessons from South East London considers whether reconfiguration of hospital services is an appropriate response to the need to drive up quality and drive down costs."

Reconfiguring hospital services: lessons from South East London
K. Palmer
The King's Fund
March 2011

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NHS Evidence QIPP Collection

The NHS Evidence QIPP Collection is a collection of examples of best practice, submitted by NHS Trusts and accredited by NICE before being published on the website. They are backed up by a number of ‘Cochrane Quality and Productivity (QP) topics’ , produced by NICE and derived from Cochrane systematic reviews that conclude that the evidence shows that a practice is harmful or ineffective and should not be used, or that there is insufficient evidence to support widespread use of a practice. NICE staff assess Cochrane QP topics against the QIPP criteria and summarise the topic, supporting evidence, likely ease of implementation, impact on productivity savings (cash and resources) and on the quality of NHS care. Trusts implementing ideas which have produced efficiencies and/or improvements in patient care are encouraged to submit details to the website using a downloadable template.

Procurement matters: a best practice procurement diagnostic

"Our Diagnostic Tool will help you to assess how effective your procurement practices are at present, and show how you can become more efficient."

Procurement matters: a best practice procurement diagnostic
Department of Health
February 2011

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Six Sigma increases hand hygiene compliance

"For those readers tasked with increasing hand hygiene compliance this article will provide the knowledge and insight needed to overcome multifaceted barriers to noncompliance."

A lean six sigma team increases hand hygiene compliance and reduces hospital-acquired MRSA infections by 51%
C Carboneau, E Benge, MT Jaco, M Robinson
Journal for Healthcare Quality, 2010 32(4):61-70
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Estimating the costs of specialised care

"In most sectors of the economy, specialisation is associated with lower costs. Yet some specialised hospitals claim to require more generous funding than general hospitals."

Estimating the costs of specialised care
CHE Research Paper 61
S Daidone, A Street
University of York Centre for Health Economics
February 2011

Read more here.