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

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

• The units include lectures, PowerPoint presentations for chapter readings, external resources, etc. to provide students with additional knowledge about the subject in each unit. Students will also be expected to explore those provide and also, take an initiative to explore other web sites (professional, governmental and/or scholarly) to supplement the discussions.

• The web sites listed below are some of the primary resources. Others resources will be provided on an as needed basis. If students identify a relevant web site or other resource, they are encouraged to share with the group. We all learn from each other.

  • American Society for Quality (ASQ)
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
  • National Association for Health Care Quality (NAHQ)
  • National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS)
  • National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)
  • National Quality Forum
  • The Leapfrog Group
  • The Joint Commission
  • The Baldrige Program
  • Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Course Schedule

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.