Managing and Improving Quality Methodology for implementation of performance measurement

Information technology applications of Mayo Clinic

How benchmarks and milestones are involved in quality

Performance and quality measures are aligned to the Mayo Clinic's mission, vision, and strategic plan

Quality assurance and improvement is incorporated through various techniques. The organizations that is willing to invest in their growth and attain a satisfactory level of consumer satisfaction through quality improvement. The quality measures that are incorporated are also investigated and improved through various methodologies in performance measurement. Technology and learning are basic elements required to improve quality and performance measurement. The BSC model for performance measurement and quality improvement, benchmarking, balanced scorecard, and quality mile stones are discussed below. Mayo clinic is one of the progressive organization providing healthcare facilities to patients. The features of information security are identified as a sector for improvement in Mayo clinic.

Introduction:

Mayo clinic is considered as a leader in high quality healthcare and adopted learning as a tool to continuously improve quality of their operations. The clinic utilizes information in a timely, accurate, and reliable way to integrate medical practice, education and research through effective strategy. Mayo clinic has not only adopted a patient and staff centric policy for providing healthcare since 1947. The recent initiatives are also evident of their approach in adopting latest technology and quality principles to enhance their healthcare systems. The data trust developed by the clinic and quality academy to improve internal and external transparency is notable efforts (Berry, & Seltman, 2008). However there are various strategies that can be proposed and taken into consideration by the clinic to achieve their objectives. The successful strategies for quality improvement in the data security in information systems and data management of the clinic are described below.

Methodology for implementation of performance measurement:

The BSC structure for methodology to improve quality in the business processes of any organization is particularly relevant for implementation in the healthcare organizations. The key elements provided in the methodology are based on the working with four major business areas. These include financial, customer, processes, and innovation and learning. The financial area should focus on generating consistent and profitable financial results for the healthcare facilities. The second important element in improving quality is derived from patient acquisition and retention. The patient orientation and satisfaction can be derived through designing of processes that efficient and effective in terms of organizational responsiveness. The innovation and learning process provides the business with a continual improvement strategy. The long-term growth can be attained through the business knowledge and learning. The model emphasizes that the organization should relate all organizational goals and objectives within the presented paradigm and provides incentives for the staff and management for quality improvement (lighter, & Fair, 2000).

Performance measurement matrix is a system adopted by various high tech organizations as a tool for improving quality management within the business. The performance measurement matrix is an effective tool to provide a comprehensive quality improvement insight. The balanced scorecard is also one of the tools used to investigate the performance. Like many other approaches there are various methods through which the business can achieve quality management and improvement objectives. The total quality management principles are also consistent with the above adopted approaches. The objective of performance measurement is to evaluate and analyze the current state of objective achievements as well as the desired goals (Wang, & Li, 2011). The approaches taken in consideration to evaluate the performance should be vigilantly chosen as it may give rise to the internal conflicts. The different nature of the patients and level of treatment carets a differentiation point for evaluation of different elements.

The selected approach for the improvement of quality measures as assessment methodology is based on the BSC model. The model selected emphasize on the integration of all elements concerning the improvement of system. The financial growth is one of the major contributors in enabling the clinics to adopt advanced treatment measures. The patient centric approach is also essential in creating a defined path for satisfaction and care. Similarly the processes of Mayo clinic are also essential in providing the research and learning into operations. The innovation carried out through the business is also utilized easily through adopting the characters of continual learning.

Information technology applications of Mayo Clinic:

According to Olsen, Goolsby, & McGinnis (2009)Mayo clinic has focused on information technology and enabled its business processes to integrate with modern technological advancements. The high value care evidence-based system is also...

The evidence-based system used to dispense of evidence at the point of care is also a system that has created a web of hospitals sharing useful information with doctors and caregivers. The clinic has established a mechanism on the basis of the HER. The staff members of the clinic are also working towards developing a learning system that will enable sharing the information across organization. The system is named as Enterprise Learning System (ESL). ESL is a notable system that will not only share clinical knowledge and patient specific triggers with physicians. The system will also enable the organization to provide continual medical education as a just in time learning approach.
Mayo clinic is also focused to develop an Enterprise Information Technology Data Trust. The proposed system will save patient specific information. It will overwrite the existing information with regards to patients. The old information system will be used to generate new knowledge for patients care. The quality academy works with the internal and external environments to increases the ability of improved services. The clinical questions that are raised during the health science research are also shared using information technology infrastructure. Information technology to advance clinics objectives can be clearly remarked as an enabler. The research about the Mayo clinic and efforts for integrating information technology in all business processes has placed the business as a progressive organization. The information technology mechanism and data protection of patients is one of the major element in which the clinic should enforce performance measurement mechanism.

How benchmarks and milestones are involved in quality:

Performance optimization and quality improvement is achieved through synchronizing the business processes. The business processes are designed to improve quality, reduce cost, and shorten development times. The methodologies adopted to optimize product and processes performance enables the business to reduce variation in its standard operating procedures. The optimized performance is achieved through various approaches. Benchmarking is one of the techniques used in total quality management. Benchmarking is considered an ongoing process through which a systematic approach is deployed to increase efficacy in internal and external processes.

The internal benchmarking is relatively easier and it only requires measuring and analyzing controls that involves internal processes. Benchmarking and milestones are considered as planning process that is based on the cause and effects relationship. The steps involved in benchmarking provide a fundamental value for the next stages of the project. There are various reasons that support the usage of benchmarking including gap identification, identification of design options, setting up of performance goals, and understanding of emerging strategies. Furthermore the needs of management to seek information and educating professionals are also notable reasons for using the system within organizational settings (Coers, Gardner, Raybourn, & Higgins, 2001).

The quality milestones are also one of the notable advantages that are used in improving healthcare systems. The education and provision of information for consumers and care services providers enables improvising quality. The quality of information and research in the healthcare facilities instigated by the milestones provides a useful cycle of activities. The healthcare clinics and service providers also benefit from the provision of these milestones as it enables the integration of various quality elements. The bench marking can be useful for Mayo clinic's information security system while the sharing of information can also be facilitated by the quality milestones. The increased educational information services of the educational sharing system of the clinic are also benefited through setting quality milestones.

Performance and quality measures are aligned to the Mayo Clinic's mission, vision, and strategic plan:

Mayo clinics are known for their emphasis on providing quality healthcare services to their patients. The long standing history of the healthcare services provider also enables the understanding of their vision and mission to enable their clients with best quality healthcare facilities. The focus of the organization on human resources development especially providing their physicianswith timely and accurate information enables them to become one of the leading clinics. The staff development and sharing of information across the clinics is also one of the features that have enabled improvement of quality health services. The patient's specific information is also a valuable asset as it not only assists physicians but at the same time the provision of quality services through patient centric approach is also a notable advantage.

The sharing of information across the clinics network and through various other hospitals involves sharing certain data that has classified information. The improvement suggested in the information technology infrastructure has various hurdles. In order to ensure that information security is followed in compliance with the regulatory framework for healthcare services certain issues should be…