Strategic quality improvement

"The King’s Fund was commissioned by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to work with their Quality Board to facilitate an assessment of its existing approaches to quality improvement and to develop a strategy for future work. This case study details the approach and philosophy behind this work, which involved working with the trust’s five directorates to develop their ability to appraise their own approach to quality improvement with a view to improving performance, achieving better clinical outcomes and building further on the trust’s capacity as a learning organisation."

Strategic quality improvement: An action learning approach
V Nath
The King's Fund
May 2016

Read more here.

Implementing MDI with carbohydrate counting for children at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

"It was agreed within the team to improve glycaemic control in this first week of diagnosis we needed to start using carbohydrate counting and insulin correction doses at diagnosis. Therefore, in January 2015, in all newly-diagnosed children and teenagers, we started MDI with carbohydrate counting education, and insulin correction doses from the first time insulin is given."

Implementing multiple daily injection insulin regimens (MDI) with carbohydrate counting for children and young people at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes: education provided by the Children’s Diabetes Service for patients, families and staff
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
NICE Shared learning example
April 2016

Read more here.

Mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke: improving clinical outcomes and reducing cost

"There have been significant cost-saving benefits to the NHS and social care providers from reduced hospital bed stay and reduced disability. There is no additional burden to the NHS because the majority of patients are admitted directly to the Stroke Unit after the procedure without the need for ITU support." 

Mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke: improving clinical outcomes and reducing cost (Quality and Productivity case study)
Royal Stoke University Hospital, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
NICE
March 2016

Read more here.

Analgesia in hip fractures. Do fascia-iliac blocks make any difference?

"Our experience shows a great improvement in compliance with fascia-iliac blocks in the pre-operative period. This work has also underpinned the introduction of a new hip fracture care pathway ultimately to better patient care and outcomes."

Analgesia in hip fractures. Do fascia-iliac blocks make any difference?
J Callear, K Shah
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2016;5: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u210130.w4147

Read more here.

Models of Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients

"This brief analyzes experts’ reviews of evidence about care models designed to improve outcomes and reduce costs for patients with complex needs. It finds that successful models have several common attributes"

Models of Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: An Evidence Synthesis
D McCarthy, J Ryan, S Klein
The Commonwealth Fund
October 2015

Read more here.

Integrating empowerment evaluation and quality improvement to achieve healthcare improvement outcomes

"We propose that an integration of empowerment evaluation with quality improvement approaches is likely to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery by increasing the ability of practitioners to improve as well as implement well"

Integrating empowerment evaluation and quality improvement to achieve healthcare improvement outcomes
A Wandersman, KA Alia, B Cook, R Ramaswamy
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:645-652 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003525

Read more here.

Using data and analytics to transform patient care

"Data-driven decision making has improved patient outcomes in Intermountain's cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, surgery, obstetrics and care processes — while saving millions of dollars in procurement and in its the supply chain." 

How Intermountain Healthcare is using data and analytics to transform patient care
M Fitzgerald
MITSloan Management Review
June 2015

Read more here.

Interventions designed to improve therapeutic communications between black and minority ethnic people and professionals working in psychiatric services

"Black and minority ethnic patients in contact with psychiatric services tend to have less than optimal experiences and outcomes. This report presents the findings of a detailed review of research into interventions to improve communications between black and minority ethnic patients and professionals working in psychiatric services in order to benefit patients’ mental health."

Interventions designed to improve therapeutic communications between black and minority ethnic people and professionals working in psychiatric services: a systematic review of the evidence for their effectiveness
K Bhui, RW Aslam, A Palinski, R McCabe, MR Johnson,S Weich, et al.
Health Technology Assessment 2015;19(31)

Read more here.

Commissioning for Value national workshop videos

Videos of presentations from the Commissioning for Value workshops run in March are now available on the RightCare website. They cover topics such as using the Commissioning for value tool, improving referrals and using the RightCare approach.

Watch the videos here.

Tackling the myths about outcomes in health

"Designing services on the basis of outcomes is trickier than designing services to deliver specified activity or outputs, but it is also more likely to result in a better and more cost-effective service"

Outcomes based approaches to healthcare: Tackling the myths about outcomes in health 
Outcomes Based Healthcare
2014

Read more here.

The IDEAL Collaboration

"The IDEAL Collaboration is an initiative to improve the quality of research in surgery... IDEAL is a set of recommendations for the evidence-based practice of surgery. It is geared towards participants in all stages of gathering and using evidence for the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients."

Find out more here.

Assisting allied health in performance evaluation

"The findings of this review should inform the development of a standardised framework that can be used to measure and evaluate allied health performance"

Assisting allied health in performance evaluation: a systematic review
L Lizarondo, K Grimmer, S Kumar
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:572  doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0572-7

Read more here.

Personalised health and care 2020

"Better use of data and technology has the power to improve health, transform the quality and reduce the cost of health and care services."

Personalised health and care 2020: Using Data and Technology to Transform 
Outcomes for Patients and Citizens - A Framework for Action 
National Information Board
November 2014

Read more here.

Mental Health, Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network

"The Mental Health Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network (MHDNIN) analyses information and data and turns it into timely meaningful health intelligence for commissioners, policy makers, clinicians and health professionals to improve services, outcomes and reduce the negative impact of mental health, dementia and neurology problems."

Access the resource here.

Commissioning of public health services for children

"The purpose of the High Impact Area documents is to articulate the contribution of health visitors to the 0-5 agenda and describe areas where health visitors have a significant impact on health and wellbeing and improving outcomes for children, families and communities.

The six High Impact Areas are:

• Transition to Parenthood and the Early Weeks 
• Maternal Mental Health (Perinatal Depression)
• Breastfeeding (Initiation and Duration)
• Healthy Weight, Healthy Nutrition (to include 
• Physical Activity)
• Managing Minor Illness and Reducing 

  Accidents (Reducing Hospital 

  Attendance/Admissions)
• Health, Wellbeing and Development of the 

  Child Age 2 – Two year old review 

  (integrated review) and support to be ‘ready for school’"

Commissioning of public health services for children

Department of Health

July 2014

Find out more and access all the resources here.