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Community Health Worker Code of Ethics Toolkit
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Community Resource
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Training Community Health Workers: Using Technology and Distance Education
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Community Resource
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WIHI Free Audio Program from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
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Publications
WIHI is a free, one-hour web-based audio program from IHI that connects listeners to the cutting edge of health care improvement with fresh and most robust thinking about strategies for improving patient care. There is no fee for participating in a WIHI program, but enrollment in each broadcast is required. To enroll in the WIHI listserv, register first at www.ihi.org. Then enroll in specific WIHI sessiona by emailing info@ihi.org or call 617-301-4800. Enrollment will trigger an automatic email to your inbox, which will contain information about how to connect to the broadcast. IHI recommends that users enroll no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the program.
WIHI programs use WebEx technology, so individuals may tune in either through a computer or telephone. There are three ways to join:
1. Via computer alone. You can access the audio through your computer speakers or headphones and can submit comments or questions via the chat function in WebEx.2. Via telephone alone. You can participate in the audio aspects of the program, but will not have access to chat functions.3. Via computer AND telephone. You can participate in the audio aspects of the program and the chat functions as well.More information on WIHI and upcoming show topics may be accessed at the link below. -
Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Trigger Tools for Adverse Events
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Publications
As part of its 100,000 Lives Saved and 5 Millions Lives Saved Campaigns, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has collaborated with hospitals around the United States to develop methods for identifying adverse events through the use of "triggers," or clues detected in medical record review. Several Trigger Tools are available on IHI.org, including:· IHI Global Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Events [White Paper]· Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Drug Events· Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Drug Events in a Mental Health Setting· Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Drug Events in the Nursing Home· Surgical Trigger Tool for Measuring Peri-operative Adverse Events· Intensive Care Unit Adverse Event Trigger Tool· Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Events in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit· Outpatient Adverse Event Trigger ToolThese tools may be downloaded without charge from the IHI web site. Users must first register with the IHI site; registration is free. Once logged on to the IHI web site,The IHI Global Trigger Tools for Measuring Adverse Events can be downloaded free of charge at: http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Topics/PatientSafety/SafetyGeneral/Tools/IntrotoTriggerToolsforIdentifyingAEs.htm.
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How-to Guide Pediatric Supplement: Adverse Drug Events
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Publications
Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) have been defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as "an injury, large or small, caused by the use of a drug." The use of “triggers,” or clues, to identify ADEs has been shown to be an effective method for measuring the overall level of harm from medication errors among adult hospital populations. As part of the IHI Saving 100K Lives Campaign, twelve U.S. children’s hospitals, convened through the Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA), adapted IHI's adult ADE trigger tool for pediatric patients.
The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ), a partner in IHI's Saving 5 Million Lives Campaign, has supported the organization of The Pediatric Affinity Group, a partnership of four organizations, working with leading U.S. hospitals, to create tools to provide adapt IHI's How-to-Guides for patient safety to children's health care. The NICHQ web site features this guide to help hospitals prevent medication errors in children. The pediatric ADE How-to-Guide includes the Pediatric Adverse Drug Event Trigger Toolkit developed by CHCA, along with example standard order sets, a sample script to standardize the collection of pediatric patient allergy information, and "20 tips to help prevent medical errors in children."
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Measuring the competence of healthcare providers
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Publications
Competence encompasses knowledge, skills, abilities, and traits, which are acquired through pre-service education, in-service training, and work experience in the healthcare industry. Competence is a major determinant of provider performance and is represented by conformance with various clinical, non-clinical, and interpersonal standards. Measuring competence is essential in determining the ability of health workers to provide quality services. Although a precursor to doing a job correctly, measuring performance periodically is also crucial to determine whether providers are using their competence in their work. A provider could possess the appropriate knowledge and skill, but might not demonstrate this due to individual factors (e.g. abilities, traits, goals, values, inertia, etc.) or external factors (e.g. unavailability of drugs, equipment, organizational support, etc.). This paper provides a framework for understanding the key factors that affect provider competence. Different methods for measuring competence are discussed, in addition to criteria for selecting measurement indicators. Furthermore, evidence from various research studies on measuring the effectiveness of different assessment techniques is also presented.
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Health care quality glossary. Russian Federation -- United States of America, 1999
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Publications
This glossary represents both an important "process" and "outcome" of the cooperation between the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in the Priority Area of Access to Quality Health Care. On the "process" side it is a tangible manifestation of the cooperation between the two towards a shared goal. The "outcome" is the creation of this glossary which will assist both Russian and non-Russian health care personnel in improving the quality of health care through communications using a shared lexicon. It is the hope of the authors that this product is disseminated widely and becomes a valuable tool for all those interested in improving health care quality. (author's)
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Applying benchmarking in health
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Publications
The task of improving quality is a demanding job. It requires focusing on clients, using data, working collaboratively with other team members, and maintaining an overarching view of the health system in which we work. At the Quality Assurance Project (QAP), we have developed quality-improvement technologies that health care managers can use in developing countries. One such approach is benchmarking. While much has been written about benchmarking in domestic business and health literature, virtually no reference works exist on the use of benchmarking in developing countries. This Project Report summary is intended to offer readers a brief background on the approach and some examples of its application in health and development. Benchmarking is a process for finding, adapting, and applying best practices. The concept of learning from others’ experience is perhaps as old as human society; however, the first widely publicized use of the term “benchmarking” was by the Xerox Corporation in Rochester, NY, in the 1970s. It was defined by Xerox as “the continuous process of measuring products, services, and practices against the company's toughest competitors or those companies renowned as industry leaders” (Camp, 1994). In general, the two key concepts in benchmarking are the idea of systems or processes and the concept of “benchmarks.” (excerpt)
