Search results for "Quality Improvement"
showing 10 items of 34 documents
Design, implementation, and evaluation of the adolescents and surveillance system for the obesity prevention project
2016
Abstract The Adolescents Surveillance System for Obesity prevention (ASSO) Project aimed at developing standardized and web-based tools for collecting data on adolescents’ obesity and its potential determinants. This has been implemented and piloted in the local area of Palermo city, Italy. The aim of the present study is to provide an overview of the Project's design, implementation, and evaluation, highlighting all the aspects for a potential scale-up of the surveillance system on the whole national territory and abroad, as a sustainable and effective source of data. The overall structure and management, the ASSO-toolkit, the ASSO-NutFit software, and all developed and used procedures for…
What Is the Impact of Innovative Electronic Health Interventions in Improving Treatment Adherence in Asthma? The Pediatric Perspective
2019
Suboptimal adherence to treatment is a significant issue in the management of pediatric asthma and is a major cause of uncontrolled disease, life-threatening attacks, and increased utilization of healthcare resources. Electronic health (e-Health) solutions have the potential to positively impact asthma self-management in children and adolescents and their families, thereby improving treatment adherence and asthma outcomes. However, there is a lack of sufficient data to support widespread adoption of e-Health tools in pediatric asthma practice. A critical evaluation of the impact of these new interventions on treatment adherence in childhood asthma must consider unmet needs, heterogeneity of…
Physicians' guideline adherence is associated with long-term heart failure mortality in outpatients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction…
2019
Background Physicians’ adherence to guideline-recommended therapy is associated with short-term clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, its impact on longer-term outcomes is poorly documented. In this analysis we assessed the longer-term association of physicians’ adherence with clinical outcomes, including mortality and unplanned hospitalisations, at 18-month follow-up of the QUALIFY registry (Clinical trial registration ISRCTN87465420) Method and results Data at 18 months were available for 6118 ambulatory HFrEF patients from this international prospective observational survey. Adherence was measured as a continuous variable, ranging from 0…
Optimizing patient referral and center capacity in the management of chronic hepatitis C: Lessons from the Italian experience
2019
Abstract Aims In 2017 the Italian Drug Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) revised the criteria for access to therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C as part of a three-year plan to eradicate HCV. We conducted a Delphi study to determine strategies to identify and treat patients with HCV and to develop through a shared pathway, a model to manage patient referral and optimize prescription center capacity with the overall aim of increasing access to therapy. Methods The process took place in two phases – Phase I (January 2017), before the criteria for treatment of HCV were revised and Phase II (May 2017) when AIFA developed a framework for the eradication of HCV infection in Ita…
Why adopt ISO 9001 certification in hospitals? A case study of external triggers and sensemaking in an emergency department in Norway
2017
Abstract Background Certification and accreditation are widely used to achieve quality and safety in health care but are also questioned regarding their assumed effects. This is a challenge for policymakers and managers, since adoption of these regimes can have a circumstantial impact upon organizations. This study’s aim was to explore how external conditions catalyzed and triggered organizational change and internal sensemaking processes as part of an ISO 9001 certification process. Methods The study applied an explanatory single-case design, using a narrative approach, to retrospectively follow a sensemaking process in an emergency department in a Norwegian hospital undergoing ISO 9001 ce…
Improving quality and safety in nursing homes and home care: the study protocol of a mixed-methods research design to implement a leadership interven…
2018
IntroductionNursing homes and home care face challenges across different countries as people are living longer, often with chronic conditions. There is a lack of knowledge regarding implementation and impact of quality and safety interventions as most research evidence so far is generated in hospitals. Additionally, there is a lack of effective leadership tools for quality and safety improvement work in this context.Methods and analysisThe aim of the ‘Improving Quality and Safety in Primary Care—Implementing a Leadership Intervention in Nursing Homes and Homecare’ (SAFE-LEAD) study is to develop and evaluate a research-based leadership guide for managers to increase quality and safety compe…
Heterogeneity in general practitioners’ preferences for quality improvement programs: a choice experiment and policy simulation in France
2016
International audience; Despite increasing popularity, quality improvement programs (QIP) have had modest and variable impacts on enhancing the quality of physician practice. We investigate the heterogeneity of physicians’ preferences as a potential explanation of these mixed results in France, where the national voluntary QIP – the CAPI – has been cancelled due to its unpopularity. We rely on a discrete choice experiment to elicit heterogeneity in physicians’ preferences for the financial and non-financial components of QIP. Using mixed and latent class logit models, results show that the two models should be used in concert to shed light on different aspects of the heterogeneity in prefer…
The current state and developments in higher education in gerontology in the Nordic countries
2012
The growing size of the older population challenges not only researchers but also higher education in gerontology. On the basis of an online survey the authors describe the situation of Nordic higher education in gerontology in 2008 and 2009 and also give some good examples of Nordic- and European-level collaboration. The survey results showed that gerontological education was given in every Nordic country, in 31 universities and 60 other higher education institutions. Although separate aging-related courses and modules were relatively numerous, programs for majors were relatively few. Networking in the Nordic region offers a good example on how to further develop higher education in geront…
Essential elements of professional nursing environments in Primary Care and their influence on the quality of care.
2017
OBJECTIVES: Nursing work environments are key determinants of care quality. Our study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of nursing environments in primary care settings in the Canary Islands, and identify crucial components of such environments to improve quality. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional study in primary care organisations using the Practice Environment Scale - Nursing Work Index tool. We collected sociodemographic variables, scores, and selected the essential items conducive to optimal care. Appropriate parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were used to analyse relations between variables (CI = 95%, error = 5%). RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four nurses partic…
The accreditation system of Italian medical residency programs: fostering quality and sustainability of the National Health Service
2020
Summary. Background and aim: In June 2017, University and Health Ministries jointly enacted a decree imple-menting a new accreditation system for the Italian post-graduate medical schools (residency programs). We report the innovations introduced through the reform. Methods: Universities were called to submit post-gradu-ate medical school projects to the National Observatory on medical residency programs, the inter-institutional committee responsible for the entire accreditation process, through an interactive web platform. The adherence to minimum standards, requirements and the performances were measured. After this first assessment, universities were asked to provide programs of improvem…