Course Description
Students are introduced to the principles and key components of quality performance management in the health care setting. Students will be given the opportunity to utilize tools and strategies to predict, assess and manage quality performance in alignment with administrative and clinical standards as well as regional, national and international performance indicators.
Course Content
In this course the learner will explore:
- Quality and utilization management concepts and terminology
- Regulatory and accreditation requirements for quality management
- The components of quality performance and utilization management
- Systems theory in quality management
- Data sources used to calculate quality performance and utilization measures
- The tools and strategies used to assess quality performance and utilization
- The key quality and utilization management activities in the health sector
- The impact of e-health on quality performance and utilization of health care and services
- The roles and responsibilities of the health information management professional
Learning Activities
Students will learn healthcare quality performance improvement and management through a combination of experiential learning and independent study. Some or all of the following methods will be used:
- lecture/discussion
- case study analysis
- group work
- group discussions and exercises
- independent research
- quizzes
- instructor feedback on students' work
- individual consultation
- presentation (individual or group)
Means of Assessment
The course evaluation is consistent with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, successful learners will be able to:
- Define key quality management terminology
- Identify major societal and regulatory drivers for quality initiatives in the health sector
- Identify regulatory and accreditation requirements for quality management activities in health care organizations
- Describe the primary stakeholders in quality management
- Differentiate among structure, process, and outcome measures of performance
- Identify sources of data for calculating performance measures
- Apply tools frequently used in problem analysis and performance management
- Conduct root cause analysis
- Demonstrate components of performance analytics including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics
- Identify key quality and utilization management activities in health care organizations
- Describe the process for ensuring clinician competence
- Identify performance indicators, standards and benchmarks
- Apply quality improvement tools and strategies for problem identification, problem-solving and decision-making
- Discuss the utilization management process and its impact on quality outcomes and resources
- Describe the role and responsibility of health information management professionals in quality improvement, utilization management and accreditation
Textbook Materials
A list of required and optional textbooks, materials and electronic applications is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.