HA540 Unit 8 Discussion

Using as references 

Title: Integrating Quality and Strategy in Health Care Organizations 

Edition: 1st (2013) 

Author: Sadeghi, Sarmad / Shabot, M. Michael / Barzi, Afsaneh / Mikhail, Osama Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Book 

ISBN: 978-0-7637-9540-5 

Read Chapter 6 (Sadeghi, Barzi, Mikhail, & Shabot) 

Quality Measures

The meeting with the stakeholders was a success, yet they pose a great question and would like further explanation on it. Can you explain the differences between clinical quality and customer service quality? Name the advantages and disadvantages of each and how they would benefit your facility when implemented properly? 

In two different paragraph using their same reference give your personal opinion to Lisa Wagner and   Jansey Hilliard  

 Jansey Hilliard 

There seems to be a big difference between customer service and quality care.  The goal of quality customer service is to provide service quality and efficiency that results in satisfaction.  Clinical Quality Measures, also known as CQMs, are a mechanism for assessing observations, treatment, processes, experience, and/or outcomes of patient care (What are clinical quality measures?, 2013).  In other words, CQMs assess the degree to which a provider competently and safely delivers clinical services that are appropriate for the patient in an optimal timeframe (What are clinical quality measures?, 2013).

The only measures there were in the early days were satisfaction measures, which remain important, vital measures (Ward, 2019).  Now there are added measures on how patients perceive the quality of care. The best way to assess that is how frequently they saw specific evidence-based things happening at the bedside, like having their pain level controlled or understanding side effects of medications (Ward, 2019).  Those aren’t necessarily satisfaction questions; those are quality questions.  For this reason, it’s very important to understand what kinds of questions are being asked on a survey when collecting data for improvement.

Customer service quality is much more subjective, but it is still important and should have equal consideration when looking at measures to improve services and patient care. Customer service quality is generated by the feelings a patient has about their care and the personal experience that resulted from the care they received.  While these things are very different; they are absolutely interconnected.

There are advantages of clinical quality measures when it comes to patient care, government regulations and insurance reimbursement.  Some disadvantages result in measuring those things that do not affect clinical care as much as they affect customer service.  A strong healthcare organization knows how to prioritize in each area when it comes to improving patient care.  This is often what sets one facility apart from another and consumers are becoming more and more aware of how healthcare systems are positioned in their competing markets. 

References

Ward, B. (2019, September 18). The Difference Between Patient Satisfaction and Quality. Retrieved from Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare:

What are clinical quality measures? (2013, January 15). Retrieved from Health IT.gov:

 Lisa Wagner

Clinical quality and customer service quality, how are they different?

Quality in a customer service setting and healthcare setting are a little different.  Customer service can be done anywhere, while clinical is in healthcare facility. Healthcare quality is defined as “The degree which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.”(Barzi, Mikhail, Sadeghi, & Shabot. 2013).

            Clinical quality is focused on the behavior of the physician and what they do to treat patients.  Clinical focuses more on care provided and it is the best indicator of quality.  However, there is little evidence of what providers do that is documented.  The care given by physicians is thought of as being optional, but that should not be the case (Advisory Board, 2020).  Patients look at quality care as having a good physician, who has good bedside manner.  I have found that a lot of times people will stick with a facility if the doctor provides the care they expect regardless of how the facility functions as a whole. Clinical focuses more on the care given to patients and customer service is more concerned with the facility.

            Customer service quality is more along the lines of check in, checkout, timeliness, and greeting of a patient. Treating patients with respect and dignity applies to both clinical quality and customer service quality. I also think the cleanliness of a facility identifies with customer service quality.  Good communication between staff and patients also can be applied to both customer service and clinical quality.  The efficiency and effectiveness of a facility affects customer service.

            Some advantages of clinical quality are helping to increase the number patients being seen at a facility and help increase a doctor’s rep if done properly and monitored.  Good clinical quality is affected by the outcomes of patient care.  The better the outcome the better the result.  A disadvantage of clinical quality is that the facility could lose money if the only focus is on what care doctors provide (Bever Jr., Cheng, Cohen, & Sanders, 2014).

            An advantage of customer service is that it can help give the facility more recognition.  It can also help with ratings given by The Joint Commission and Center for Medicare and Medicaid.  Patients can feel more at ease if greeted friendly and properly.  Good Customer service quality can also help beat the competition.  A disadvantage is it could reduce number of patients if the facility has good customer service but poor clinical quality.

            Both types of quality should be reviewed regularly and used simultaneously to get a good picture of quality care.   It helps patients to be comforted by a combination of care given by providers and customer service provided.  When both are implemented appropriately, facilities and doctors stay at top of the competition and are better financially which helps improve patient satisfaction.  Being focused on how a facility is viewed and how patients are cared for will provide better outcomes.

Advisory Board. (2020).  What ‘Clinical Quality’ Really Means.  Retrieved from

Barzi, A., Mikhail, O., Sadeghi, S., & Shabot, M.M.  (2013).  Integrating Quality and Strategy in

            Health Care Organizations. Jones & Bartlett Learning.  Burlington, Massachusetts.

Bever Jr., C.T., Cheng, E.M., Cohen, A.B., & Sanders, A. E. (2014).  Quality Measurement its

Here to Stay.  American College of Neurology.  Neurology Clinical Practice. Retrieved from