Thomas John Rose's activity
In group: Quality Management in Healthcare
-
Thomas John Rose posted an update in the group Quality Management in Healthcare 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Let’s have a look at ‘complexity’. The NHS don’t have monopoly on complexity; what about space travel, nuclear submarines, power stations, missile systems, AI, IT, MRI scanners, etc. These are all examples of complexity – in specification, design, realisation, operation, and very importantly Quality Management. But guess what? They all have sophisticated Quality Management and Safety Management Systems other than the NHS. In each of theses industries it takes many years of training for Quality Professional to design and manage these Quality and Safety Management systems, all except for the NHS who haven’t started yet.
I believe referring to people as ‘complex’ e.g., in mental health care feels a bit like it says more about the practitioner’s willingness to listen and apply evidenced-based principles to helping the person than it does about the person in distress. All humans are complex. If we develop systems which continually try to improve health care through co-production this might provide a safer and more effective means of management. Health care systems should be better aligned to people’s needs. Better to complete pre-flight checks and to continuously learn than to try to correct forced landings.
I’m sure you could be right Alan but that’s not what Quality and Patient Safety Management is about. Also, the ‘complexity’ I’m referring to is the complexity of the ‘system’ and not the patient. Never-the-less co- production can play a part in healthcare improvement but the critical need if for people that understand system design and quality and patient safety management. These people will be system design professionals and not patients or clinicians.
With respect Tom, design professionals will need to work with clinicians, patients and carers to balance the health care economy. I expect quality and patient safety will require a person-centred approach to be effective. Co-production is imperative, as is asset-based community development, to support unpaid carers having to manage risk at home. Holistic care and risk management in my view depends upon building relationships and getting to know what doesn’t fit neatly in a system.
I don’t disagree but my point is that most Service design activity is about ‘system’ design. Things like IT interface, record keeping, scheduling, data collection, Process Management, Juran’s trilogy, etc. All areas requiring Professional skills. Co-production with Service users comes later in the process, never-the-less it is still very important.
Morning Tom. I appreciate your expertise. A coordinated approach to redesigning service delivery will need to consider local context, the views of service users and founding principles of the NHS.
I do agree Alan. Local context etc should be part of the Service specification That is provided by the organisation commissioning the Service and is used in the design or re-design of the Service delivery system.