Discussion: Quality Indicators

Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following: • Identify two nurse-sensitive indicators of quality that relate to patient care and analyze the influence of early quality improvement theories and philosophies on the development of those indicators. For this exercise, do not choose nurse sensitive indicators that relate to staffing levels. • Find and cite at least 2 nursing research articles you located and evaluate how these indicators influence a practice setting.

Nursing care quality is significant as it is connected to patient satisfaction and safety (Stalpers et al., 2016). Defining nursing practice quality commenced with Florence Nightingale, who worked on measuring patient outcomes and improving hospital conditions. Quality indicators are frequently utilized measures to gain insights into healthcare facilities’ or healthcare organizations’ performance based on the provided quality of care. Nurse-Sensitive Indicators reflect the outcomes, processes, and structure of nursing care. Types of Nursing-Sensitive Indicators are process, structural, and outcome indicators (Lorini et al., 2018). The two indicators that relate to patient care are outcome and process indicators. This paper describes two nurse-sensitive indicators of quality associated with patient care and analyzes a quality improvement theory that influences the indicators. Also, the paper evaluates how the indicators impact mental health nursing practice. Discussion: Quality Indicators .

Outcome Indicators

            Measuring consumer healthcare outcomes in mental health practice is vital to ascertain that every patient continually benefits from mental health-related care and treatment they receive (Kwan & Rickwood, 2015). Outcome indicators in mental health practice settings are functioning, employment, and symptoms of mental disorder (Kilbourne et al., 2018). A mental health nurse practitioner can use a functioning indicator to determine whether the patient is mentality functioning well. If they are, it could signify that the treatment was successful. Concomitantly, a mental health nurse practitioner, can check the employment rate and symptoms in the patient. Suppose the mentally ill patients returning to work percentage is high, and symptom like depression have decreased, it could represent effective and quality care.

Process Indicators

            Process indicators are crucial processes that lead to the achievement of desirable outcomes. Examples of these indicators are patient assessment, quality of training, needs assessment, and nursing interventions. Process indicators can be utilized diagnostically to determine the reasons in case the outcome indicators highlight that performance is below the expected level (Ngantcha et al., 2017). Also, process indicators can be utilized to develop improvement recommendations. In mental health practice settings, process indicators are the percentage of individuals who have documented substance use screening, outpatient follow-up within a week after discharge, and receipt of adequate psychotherapy dose.

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Influence of Early Quality Improvement Theories

Dr Deming’s five principles are examples of early quality improvement philosophies. These are quality improvement being the science of process management, managed care symbolizing managing care processes ad not managing nurses or physicians, and for quality control in care, one cannot improve it if they do not measure it. Other principles are engaging clinicians in healthcare and using the right information in the correct format, at the coorect time and in the right hands. These philosophies influence the development of indicators in that they drive the use of indicators in quality improvements. For instance, Dr Deming states that quality improvement is data-driven. This data can be retrieved from process and outcome indicators to aid in quality improvement.

How Outcome and Process Indicators Influence Mental Health Practice Setting

Outcome indicators can be utilized to observe the effectiveness of mental health services. When the functioning and employment rate of patients is low, and symptoms are elevating, mental health nurse practitioners can devise new intervention that will treat the mental disorder and enhance the quality of care. Discussion: Quality Indicators .Likewise, healthcare professionals can utilize process indicators to make decisions on effective treatment intervention. During patient and needs assessment, providers can determine lacking aspects in the treatment process and incorporate them to achieve the desired goal. 

References

Kilbourne, A. M., Beck, K., Spaeth-Rublee, B., Ramanuj, P., O’Brien, R. W., Tomoyasu, N., & Pincus, H. A. (2018). Measuring and improving the quality of mental health care: A global perspective. World Psychiatry, 17(1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20482

Kwan, B., & Rickwood, D. J. (2015). A systematic review of mental health outcome measures for young people aged 12 to 25 years. BMC Psychiatry, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0664-x

Lorini, C., Porchia, B. R., Pieralli, F., & Bonaccorsi, G. (2018). Process, structural, and outcome quality indicators of nutritional care in nursing homes: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-2828-0

Ngantcha, M., Le-Pogam, M., Calmus, S., Grenier, C., Evrard, I., Lamarche-Vadel, A., & Rey, G. (2017). Hospital quality measures: Are process indicators associated with hospital standardized mortality ratios in French acute care hospitals? BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2534-3

Stalpers, D., Kieft, R. A., Van der Linden, D., Kaljouw, M. J., & Schuurmans, M. J. (2016). Concordance between nurse-reported quality of care and quality of care as publicly reported by nurse-sensitive indicators. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1372-z

How do you define quality as it pertains to health care and the practice of nursing? Some nurses may define quality as effective interdisciplinary teamwork that results in better patient-health outcomes, while hospital administrators may define quality as appropriately delegated responsibilities, completion of tasks, and effective patient flow. Due to the subjective nature of the term, quality is a topic of great debate.

In an effort to define quality in health care, standards have been developed to establish consistency and provide guidance. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) outlines nursing-sensitive indicators that encompass measurement scales for quality of nurse professionals as well as quality of the services provided by nurses to patients. In this week’s Discussion, you evaluate the determinants of quality,m based on the NDNQI indicators and the theoretical underpinnings of these quality indicators. You apply nursing-sensitive indicators to your current setting and assess how each definition of quality contributes to the idea of quality overall. Discussion: Quality Indicators .

To prepare:

• Review the NDNQI indicators presented in the Learning Resources that emphasize quality. Focus on those indicators that pertain to your practice setting.
• Consider the influence of early quality improvement theories and philosophies on the development of those quality indicators.
• Using the Walden Library, locate at least two scholarly research articles that discuss how quality indicators influence your practice setting.
• Select one definition of quality published by any peer-reviewed source that particularly resonates with your thinking about quality.

By Day 3

Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:

• Identify two nurse-sensitive indicators of quality that relate to patient care and analyze the influence of early quality improvement theories and philosophies on the development of those indicators. For this exercise, do not choose nurse sensitive indicators that relate to staffing levels.
• Find and cite at least 2 nursing research articles you located and evaluate how these indicators influence a practice setting. Discussion: Quality Indicators.