IHC Work Plan Description — Education
Executive Summary
Changes in healthcare process improvement and measurement occur at a breathtaking speed. All levels of organizations, from the direct care providers to the boardroom, are being asked to develop new skills in response. As quality is defined and determined, new evidence-based treatments and interventions are developed. New process and outcome measures are defining success. Methods of tracking clinical effectiveness are being reinvented as we race toward a world where reimbursement is tied to clinical effectiveness. The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative's multi-tier education strategy takes advantage of experiences and resources available both locally and nationally to align and equip Iowa providers for new levels of performance.
Conferences
Annual Conference
The IHC Annual Conference brings providers from multiple disciplines together in an "all-teach, all-learn" environment. The meeting is designed to share best practice and promote deployment of "Iowa solutions to Iowa problems." Hospitals and physicians from across Iowa lead sessions and share experiences, successes, and obstacles. National healthcare leaders also offer informative presentations. The Annual Conference is very popular, attracting between 350 and 400 attendees.
Patient Safety Conference
The complexity of healthcare can create unintended consequences in delivery of care. Presented during National Patient Safety Week in March, the IHC Patient Safety Conference brings together providers and patients to consider issues in patient safety. It specifically focuses on developing a culture of safety in healthcare and engaging our patients as partners in care. The 2006 Patient Safety Conference hosted over 125 healthcare leaders.
Lean in Healthcare Conference
Healthcare today is asked to execute an extraordinary volume of change. Doing "business as usual" is no longer acceptable. Organizations must engage strategies of process improvement. IHC offers a conference presenting experiences with Lean manufacturing techniques and its process improvement applications to healthcare. At the conference, organizations working with Lean show that Lean applies to healthcare, improves clinical and operational performance, and aligns with the healthcare culture. The capacity crowd at the inaugural Lean in Healthcare Conference in 2006 topped 250 participants.
Website
The IHC website is intended to serve as an Iowa clearinghouse for clinical improvement information. It connects providers, presents performance information, and serves as the resource site for improvement information. Enhancements in 2006 included posting of the Iowa Report and a series of toolkits on performance improvement initiatives.
Toolkits
IHC has prepared web-based electronic toolkits on selected topics to promote rapid deployment and spread. Each toolkit presents:
- Case for change
Why the current status quo is no longer acceptable
- Project description
Our plan to address the issue
- Tools
Resources to address the issue
- Success stories
Encouraging experiences of others in addressing this issue
- Mentors
Hospitals and physicians willing to share experiences
- Resources
Helpful materials such as books, articles, websites, etc.
Toolkits presented on the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative website include:
- Anticoagulation
- Culture of Safety
- Health Literacy
- Healthcare-Associated Infections
- Medication Reconciliation
- Lean in Healthcare
Why the current status quo is no longer acceptable
Our plan to address the issue
Resources to address the issue
Encouraging experiences of others in addressing this issue
Hospitals and physicians willing to share experiences
Helpful materials such as books, articles, websites, etc.