To improve any health care system change must occur.
Change can be incremental or dramatic, but without it we cannot improve the quality of the health care system in Ontario or the health of those who live here. Individuals and teams who work within the health care system must feel empowered to make changes that can make a difference. So today we are asking you: what would you change?
Quality Improvement (QI) is science, not magic, and should be taught with the frequency and rigour of any scientific discipline in healthcare. Teaching Quality Improvement is not a straightforward matter but must be done, and done right, if we want to see the healthcare system improve.
That the patient perspective was mentioned first in our Twitter chat about quality in health earlier this week was both gratifying and appropriate.
Ditto the fact that a number of individual members of the public and patient advocates participated in the one hour #HQOchat, which represented the first time Health Quality Ontario has hosted a discussion on Twitter.
(On June 20, I will host a discussion on Twitter about quality and health care. This blog provides the context for that Tweet chat)
Most of us can recognize quality in clothes, cars or conversation.
But defining quality in health care delivery or in a health care system is not nearly as simple.
“The publication of the first report on the Emergency Department (ED) Return Visit Quality Program is a proud moment for me personally – I’m proud of my colleagues and my discipline."