Course Description
In the context of the continual transition of healthcare value to quality, students in this course will learn the fundamentals of performance measurement and how they are related to performance activities. Students will learn about and apply techniques and tools for reducing cost and improving care in health organizations. Through the study of operations management, students will be able to explain how operation and process improvement relates to healthcare trends. While examining a range of tools for managing and improving quality, students will be able to identify their application within health services organizations. (3 credits)
Associated Program Learning Outcomes
- #4. Develop health care delivery goals and standards to lead organizations in quality care initiatives.
- #5. Assess customer service and client satisfaction for continuous performance improvement.
- #9. Explain the connection between the regulatory and voluntary accrediting standards and health care policies and procedures.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Recognize and explain performance measures and their component parts.
- Interpret opportunities for improvement in healthcare settings.
- Identify data quality concerns and articulate consequences of poor-quality data.
- Performance iImprovement tools to a quality improvement project.
- Compare and contrast the difference between quality improvement systems and tools.
- Assess patient experience results.
- Evaluate the dimensions of healthcare performance.
- Report patient safety data in a performance report.
- Analyze how the definition of Population Health should be shaped by the principles of health equity and socioeconomic determinants of health.
- Recommend guidelines to multiple stakeholders.
- Compare and contrast accreditation and regulation and analyze their impact on healthcare.
- Determine appropriate use of healthcare services.
- Evaluate the impact of measurement burden in value-based purchasing and performance improvement.
- Perform a rapid cycle improvement project.
- Measure the effectiveness of an improvement project.
- Design a performance improvement measurement plan.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions – 10 pts each (90 pts total) [Weeks 1-6 & 8] | 40% |
Workbook Assignments – 15 pts each (120 pts total) [Weeks 1-7] | 40% |
Week 8 Final Project – 50 pts | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore
- Nash. The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools. 4th ed. Health Administration Press, 2019. ISBN-13: 9781640550537
- Spath.Healthcare Quality Management Student Workbook. 5th Brown-Spath & Associates, 2019. ISBN-13: 9781929955497
Course Schedule
Week | PLOs | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 4 | 1,2 | Topics: The Foundation of Healthcare Quality / Quality Management Building Blocks
|
|
2 | 4,5 | 3,4,5 | Topics: Quality Framework / Measuring & Evaluating Performance
|
|
3 | 4,5 | 6,7 | Topics: Measuring, Improving Care & Creating A Culture of Safety and Reliability – Part 1
|
|
4 | 5 | 8,9 | Topics: Measuring, Improving Care & Creating A Culture of Safety and Reliability – Part 2
|
|
5 | 4,9 | 10,11 | Topic: Research, Drivers in the Quality Improvement Landscape and Accreditation – Part 1
|
|
6 | 5 | 12,13 | Topics: Research, Drivers in the Quality Improvement Landscape and Accreditation – Part 2
|
|
7 | 4 | 14,15 | Topic: Quality as a Strategy
|
|
8 | 4 | 16 | Topic: Final Project: Organizing for Quality and Measurement
|
|
04072021
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.