5 pages not incl. cover page, abstract page, and reference page.
Using the same organization from Week 2, create 3 performance standards or benchmarks (e.g., net profit, quality ratings, service excellence award, average length of stay, average percentage of readmission after discharge, average medical error rate, and so on). These benchmarks must be based on national standards or other successful profiles for this particular type of organization. Evaluate the following strategic innovations that were used to evaluate your performance standards:
- Selective contracting
- Cost sharing
- Managed care
- Quality standards
Evaluate the role of decision making by the health care leader for any of the performance standard measures to achieve national benchmarks.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction: In the field of medical education, creating assignments and performance standards is crucial for evaluating student performance and ensuring quality education. As a medical professor, I design and conduct lectures, evaluate student performance, and provide feedback through examinations and assignments. In this assignment, I will create three performance standards for a specific healthcare organization based on national benchmarks. Furthermore, I will evaluate how selective contracting, cost-sharing, managed care, and quality standards can be utilized to evaluate the performance standards, and the role of decision-making by the healthcare leader in achieving national benchmarks.
Performance Standards for a Specific Healthcare Organization
1. Average Length of Stay (ALOS): ALOS refers to the number of days a patient stays in the hospital. The national benchmark for ALOS is 4.5 days for medical and surgical patients. To achieve this standard, a healthcare organization must ensure optimal care, expedite discharge processes, and minimize complications.
2. Average Percentage of Readmission after Discharge (APRAD): APRAD refers to the percentage of patients who are readmitted within 30 days after their initial discharge. The national benchmark for APRAD is 15%. To attain this standard, healthcare organizations must ensure proper discharge planning, follow-up care, and medication management.
3. Average Medical Error Rate (AMER): AMER refers to the rate of medical errors that occur within a healthcare organization. The national benchmark for AMER is 2%. To achieve this standard, healthcare organizations must prioritize patient safety through the implementation of various strategies, such as electronic medical records and a culture of safety.
Evaluation of Strategic Innovations
Selective Contracting: Selective contracting involves negotiating contracts with preferred providers to reduce costs and improve quality. This strategic innovation can improve the performance standards of APRAD and ALOS by ensuring that patients receive care from high-quality providers who follow evidence-based practices.
Cost-sharing: Cost-sharing involves sharing the costs of healthcare services between the patient and the healthcare organization. This strategy can improve the performance standards of AMER by incentivizing providers to prioritize patient safety to avoid costly medical errors.
Managed Care: Managed care involves using a system of providers who coordinate patient care to improve efficiency and quality. This strategy can improve the performance standard of ALOS by ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care.
Quality Standards: Quality standards involve setting benchmarks for clinical outcomes and processes to ensure optimal care. This strategy can improve the performance standard of APRAD by ensuring that patients receive sufficient follow-up care and medication management after discharge.
Role of Decision Making
The healthcare leader plays a vital role in decision-making to achieve national benchmarks for performance standards. Leaders must ensure that the healthcare organization adopts innovative strategies to improve performance standards, such as those previously mentioned. Furthermore, leaders must make informed decisions regarding staffing, resource allocation and quality improvement to improve performance standards. Effective leaders must work collaboratively with stakeholders, including providers, patients and regulatory bodies, to ensure that performance standards are met or exceeded.
Conclusion: In conclusion, creating performance standards and benchmarks is essential to ensure quality education and evaluate student performance. In the healthcare setting, performance standards must be based on national benchmarks and evaluated using strategic innovations such as selective contracting, cost-sharing, managed care and quality standards. Effective decision making by healthcare leaders is instrumental in achieving national benchmarks for performance standards by utilizing innovative strategies and working collaboratively with stakeholders.
