Design and support in the development of quality plans

Receiving support in the diagnosis, design, consensus, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of personalized quality plans helps improve the organization's ability to respond to strategic needs linked to different quality requirements, such as improving efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and person-centered care, among others.

Developing a quality plan involves, at a minimum, the following phases:

  • Strategic reflection
  • Definition of contents
  • Organization and evaluation of the quality plan

Introduction

Quality plans are based on a global and operational conceptualization that addresses care quality from the perspective of excellence. Every quality plan starts with defining and reaching consensus with the organization or administration on its quality policy, which is the ideological and intellectual foundation of the plan's content.

Quality plans usually have a validity of 3-5 years, after which they must be reviewed and updated to incorporate new management and outcome evaluation elements. Quality plans are translated into quality programs when specific people, resources, activities, and timelines are assigned for their development. A large number of professionals from all care and non-care areas participate in their creation.

Quality plans take into account several elements, such as:

  • Strategic importance of quality
  • Responsibility of the center and management
  • Commitment of all professionals
  • Approach
  • Cultural elements
  • Continuous improvement methodology
  • Unique multifactorial program focused on the client
  • Roles of participants: managers/professionals/coordinators
  • Role of external clients

Possible approaches to a quality plan include, among others:

  • Reduce variability (clinical and process)
  • Improve care outcomes
  • Orient the organization towards the external client
  • Increase efficiency
  • Reduce risks
  • Improve satisfaction of different stakeholders

Methodology and work plan

In collaboration with the organization, the scope of the quality plan and the proposed methodology for diagnosis will be defined, identifying key people, services, contents, and expected outcomes.

Before defining the methodology for diagnosis, an initial assessment of the plan's development, deployment, barriers, and facilitators will be conducted. This may involve site visits, in-depth interviews, literature review, and/or document analysis.

Conduct fieldwork to collect data. Tabulate and aggregate information. Identify emerging quality topics. Establish initial strategic lines for the future plan. Prepare a diagnostic report. Present results.

Experience

Our experience in designing, supporting deployment, and evaluating quality plans allows us to provide organizations with the support needed to implement improvement opportunities or make decisions to redirect and/or consolidate ongoing initiatives.

Our experience in quality plans dates back to 1993.

  • Design and support in deploying quality plans for Ministries, Departments, health corporations, and organizations providing health and social services nationally and internationally
  • Design, deployment, and evaluation of quality strategies at the regional level (Asturias, Catalonia…)
  • Design of quality plans for hospitals and private clinics
  • Design of quality plans to meet certification, accreditation, or service procurement requirements
  • Design, support in deployment, and evaluation of quality plans for programs and services aimed at vulnerable populations: at-risk children, older adults, victims of violence, people at risk of social exclusion related to disability or mental illness, etc.

Profile of groups we have worked with

  • Healthy people requiring health promotion and disease prevention strategies
  • People with acute and chronic health problems
  • People at social exclusion risk due to lack of social cohesion
  • At-risk children requiring early intervention (child development and early care centers)
  • At-risk children: abused and at risk of neglect. Older adults
  • People at risk related to physical, cognitive, or sensory disability
  • Victims of violence: gender-based, social conflict, etc.
  • People with mental disorders and addiction problems (children/adolescents and adults)
  • People with chronic health problems requiring support from health and social services
  • Wardens or individuals under guardianship lacking decision-making capacity
  • Incarcerated individuals

Services we have worked with

  • Acute, sub-acute, and convalescent hospital centers. Social-health centers
  • Long-term care centers
  • Therapeutic and rehabilitation day hospitals
  • Rehabilitation centers/services
  • Adult and child-adolescent mental health centers
  • Addiction care centers and therapeutic communities
  • Mental health residential homes
  • Prison healthcare
  • Residential and day centers for people with physical or intellectual disabilities requiring extensive or generalized support
  • Shelters for abused women. Residential homes
  • Citizen service centers in social services
  • Home care services
  • Day centers and residential centers
  • Social clubs
  • Guardianship entities
  • Centers promoting personal autonomy
  • Employment integration services
  • Child development and early care centers
  • Functional Child Teams (EFI)
  • Child and Adolescent Care Teams (EAIA)

Confidentiality

To preserve the confidentiality of patient-identifiable data, all stages of the study will comply with data protection regulations (LPD). FAD is registered with the “Spanish Data Protection Agency” under registration number 2062920082 and, in compliance with its ethical code, commits to always follow the specifications of the Personal Data Protection Act 21/2000 of December 29, regarding health information, patient autonomy, and clinical documentation (DOGC n.3303, January 11, 2001).

When accessing patient care records, only data strictly necessary for the evaluation of the contract’s indicators will be consulted. In all cases, our evaluators will comply with existing data protection laws and respect patient autonomy and confidentiality.

All project participants will sign an institutional Confidentiality Commitment of the Avedis Donabedian University Institute, and if appropriate, also the one issued by the contracting entity.

Budget

The organization may choose all phases or only those where support is required for the development of the quality plan:

  • 1. Diagnosis for the development of the quality plan
  • 2. Preparation of the quality plan
  • 3. Support and monitoring in the development of the plan or specific improvement strategies/initiatives
  • 4. Evaluation of the degree of plan development and its impact
  • 5. Support in formulating strategic lines for a future quality plan

The budget will depend on the phases contracted by the organization, will include personnel travel expenses, and applicable taxes according to current regulations.