HCA 201: Health Care Quality Concepts and Principles

Course Description

This course will focus on information and historical trends for some of the most important issues and challenges in healthcare quality. This course will provide the knowledge base and the tools required by the novice healthcare manager seeking to expand his/her scope of responsibilities. This course is also intended for more experienced healthcare managers who are seeking to expand their repertoire of resources to effectively and confidently do the job. Topics include definitions of quality in healthcare, dimensions of quality care and performance (including outcomes, overuse, and underuse), variation in practice patterns, errors and threats to patient safety, service flaws, and forms of waste such as data sources, costs, causes, and remedies. (3 credits)

Prerequisite

  • None

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Construct a working knowledge of “Health Care Quality” from the perspective of the Patient, the Provider, the Payors and the Regulators known as the “voice of customer” or VOC.
  2. Identify the key dimensions of quality care and performance measurement, the design of quality indicators and apply them to his or her current work environment.
  3. Describe facts and principles of quality measures and service excellence, as they relate to organizational business strategy.
  4. Integrate knowledge and practice to effectively motivate staff and be recognized as a health care quality leader and champion.
  5. Apply quality improvement tools to a healthcare issue of concern that needs improvement.
  6. Explain an understanding of personal, professional, consumer and government responsibilities with regard to healthcare quality.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

Threaded Discussions

50%

Midterm Paper (Week 4)

25%

Final Exam (Week 8)

25%

Total

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle

  • Lloyd, Robert C. (2019). Quality Health Care: A Guide to Developing and Using Indicators. (2nd ed.) Boston: Jones and Bartlett. ISBN-13: 978-1284023077

Additional Resources

Course Schedule

WeekSLOsReadings and ExercisesAssignments

1

1,2

Topic: Health Care Quality Measurement

  • Readings:

    • Textbook - Chapters 1 & 2
  • Review Getting Started information
  • Review course syllabus
  • Introduce Yourself in the Discussion Forum
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the lecture material

2

1,2,3

Topic: Health Care Quality: Voice of the Customer

  • Readings:

    • Textbook - Chapter 3
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions

3

2,3

Topics: Healthcare Quality: Milestones in the Quality Measurement Journey (QMJ)

  • Readings:

    • Textbook - Chapter 4
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions

4

3,4,5

Topics: Healthcare Quality Reports and Dashboards

  • Readings:

    •  Textbook - Chapter 5
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Midterm Analysis Paper

5

3,4,5

Topics: Healthcare Quality Data Analysis and Interpretation

  • Readings:

    • Textbook - Chapters 6 & 7

6

3,4,5

Topic: Healthcare Quality: Understanding Statistical Variation

  • Readings:

    • Textbook - Chapters 8 & 9
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions

7

1-6

Topic: Healthcare Quality Organizational Strategies

  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions

8

1-6

Topic: Pulling it all together: What have I learned?

  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Take Final Exam (Chapters 1-9 & 11)
  • Complete Course Evaluation

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.