Summary: Final Organizational QI Plan

Final Organizational QI Plan
Hani Mortada
HCS 588
October 7, 2013
Ronald Konnick

Final Organizational QI Plan Executive Summary The concept of using computer technology to improve the management of patient information is not new. Research into the implementation of health care information systems spans more than thirty years at a cost of millions of dollars (Zheng, McGrath, Hamilton, Tanner, White, Pohl, 2009). In spite of those costly efforts, patient records continue to be primarily paper-based. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (1991) of the National Academy of Sciences recognized the magnitude…show more content…
Simply the installation of such a system does not guarantee that efficient use and successful outcomes will result. Most failures of implementation of EMR systems can be attributed to factors unrelated to the systems themselves. Poor organizational strategy or inadequate assessments of the competitive environment usually underlie poor performance. Failure to make organizational accommodations such as process redesign also contributes to lack of success (Glaser, 1997). In contrast, clearly defined goals for the EMR system, organizational and individual user commitment to the process, and enthusiastic leadership by an individual or a core group ensure the greatest opportunity for achieving desired results (Wager, Lee, White, Ward & Omstein, 2000). If, according to W. Edward Deming, the basics of quality are built into a service during its conception and each cycle of its application, the outcome would be reduced costs, increased profits, and greater consumer loyalty and satisfaction. These tenets are applicable to the delivery of health care. As information technology provides the tools, the delivery of health care will become higher in quality. As experience has shown, quality medical care is the most cost effective medical…show more content…
Research into the implementation of health care information systems spans more than thirty years at a cost of millions of dollars. With the increasing complexity of medical knowledge, the relentless regulation of the practice of medicine, and the growing need to organize and benefit from the tide of administrative and clinical data, EMR systems have emerged as a valuable tool in the health care delivery system. Effective implementation of these systems greatly influences their usefulness and functionality. However, due to the complex nature of health care delivery in the primary care setting, a clear understanding of the impact of EMR systems in that environment remains elusive. Broader experience and continuing research into the characteristics of primary care practices with regard to the implementation of EMR systems is required in order to understand and gain full value from EMR systems. When an innovative tool provides benefits such as enhanced clinical efficiencies, greater control over work, and improved job satisfaction, there is little doubt that the implementation of the tool would be considered a success. If these benefits are consistent products of the implementation, the users are not only far more likely to adjust to the requirements that the tool demands, but are also more likely to exploit its capability, adapt its functionality, and maximize its