Briefing: Improvement as mainstream business: The strategic case

Briefing: Improvement as mainstream business: The strategic case (The Health Foundation, November 2023)

Summary:

This briefing explores the advantages of using quality improvement (QI) methods in healthcare. QI offers a systematic way to make measurable improvements in the quality of care, and it offers benefits for staff, patients, and the wider healthcare system.

Benefits of QI:

• Improved workplace culture

• Greater job control and higher satisfaction

• Improved access to appointments and services

• Improved safety and reduction in patient harms

• More efficient use of resources

• Efficiency gains and productivity improvements    

  
  

Modes of improvement activity:

• Improving service processes and quality

• Redesigning pathways and service models

• Transforming organisational delivery

• Enabling innovations    

  
  

Barriers to improvement:

• Differences in the perception, practice, and experience of improvement

• Lack of shared understanding about how change happens in complex systems

Ways to embed improvement:

• Create consensus about the role of improvement

• Recognise and foster the mediating role of local leaders

• Create an improvement-centred vision for healthcare

• Build connected improvement ecosystems

• Ensure that improvement is properly resourced    

  
  

The briefing concludes that a strong case can be made for using QI approaches to transform healthcare services and achieve better outcomes for patients and staff.

Web link:

https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/briefings/briefing-improvement-as-mainstream-business