Episode 26: Leading for Quality and Safety
March 27, 2014
There isn’t a healthcare system in the world that doesn’t want to provide quality care in an environment that is safe for its patients. In this episode, Dr. Deborah White discusses ingredients necessary to creating a high-quality healthcare system. The effort begins with leadership, from the top of the organization through to the front line. What leaders need are: skill sets to enable them to build effective teams; vision; expertise; and the ability to relate, engage and build enthusiasm for that vision. With effective leaders in place, there also is a need for data and measurement. A successful system requires information technology, data repositories and the infrastructure to support data review that will create the sense of urgency for change.
In her research, Deborah has studied perspectives of senior leaders and quality and safety teams. She provides examples of quality of safety teams that have evolved from initiatives, such as Accreditation Canada and Safer Healthcare Now. On the local level, a patient care manager or unit manager needs to be able to prioritize and manage change. Creating a culture that is appreciative of quality with the infrastructure to support it enables leaders at all levels to enact the change that is needed.
After listening to this podcast, listeners will:
1. Understand what is required of effective leaders in creating and sustaining an environment of quality and safety in healthcare
2. Recognize that leadership is required at all levels of the organization from the boardroom to the front line
3. Realize that focus and priorities are key in an environment that is continually asking for change. Leaders who can manage change and retain enthusiasm in demanding environments must have the resources and accountabilities to make changes happen.
Deborah White
Deborah White is a clinically trained nurse and a senior researcher in the Faculties of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Calgary. She is also the Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary and has over 20 years of experience in nursing education, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her research collaborations within the W21C focus on Patient Safety and Quality of Care, within three separate but linked areas: 1) health care workforce capability and development; 2) structures and processes in the work and learning environment; and 3) organizational practices and culture. Currently, Dr White is active on a number of CIHR-funded patient safety initiatives and is leading a national study to examine the development, implementation, and impact of quality and safety teams in Canadian hospitals. The interdisciplinary research team involved in this study is composed of nurses, physicians, health decision makers, and graduate and undergraduate students. This overall umbrella of Patient Safety and Quality of Care fosters exploration of the interrelationship of the structural characteristics of care (i.e., provider, patient, necessary resources and support to deliver care), the care processes (i.e., what care providers do), the context in which care occurs, and their relationship to provider, patient and system outcomes. By studying these areas, Deborah hopes to improve the quality of health care for Albertans and Canadians. She is also actively partnering with Alberta Health Services (AHS) on a multifaceted evaluation of Strategic Clinical Networks – a new governance intervention established by AHS for enhancing care across the continuum.
Read More:
For information about Safer Healthcare Now, click here.
For information about Accreditation Canada, click here.
To learn more about Trillium, click here.