This post is the first in a series on Regional Quality Tables. For more information about the Tables, please see our Feature post here.
Erie St. Clair LHIN’s Regional Quality Table had its first meeting in September 2016. The members of the table include a patient / caregiver, senior clinicians, LHIN staff, as well as academics. Over the past few months, the Table has worked to create a regional quality plan with three key priorities which includes a work plan for each of these priorities. These are, in no particular order:
- Building a culture of quality in the LHIN by:
- Establishing a tool to assess proficiency and capability in quality improvement – and then assessing the current levels
- Provide and enable new and ongoing skill and capacity training in quality improvement.
- Enable the coordination of current quality improvement planning across sectors (acute, LTC, community, primary care) within each sub-region.
- Assist in leveraging the coordinated cross sector improvement activities in each of the sub-regions to improve revisits and readmission and associated processes connected to these “big dot” metrics.
Figure 1: From left Shannon Landry, Bluewater Health, David
Remy, Bluewater Health Bill Holling, patient representative, Dereck Cyrus, ESC
LHIN, Sheila Horan, Leamington Family Health Team, Dr. Martin Lees ESC LHIN,
Michelle Freeman, University of Windsor, Carol Moore HQO and Pete Crvenkovski ESC
LHIN
Bill Holling, our patient advisor on the Table, has been
keen to help the frontline to enact improvements and has been working closely
on the “culture of quality” aim. To do so, a framework of five levels of capability
and knowledge was created. Working with Michelle Freeman, the member of our
table from the University of Windsor, we conducted a brief literature review of
existing competency matrices for quality improvement and created levels that
suited our project. The five levels are: Fundamentals (basic knowledge); Novice
(limited experience); Intermediate (practical application); Advanced (advanced
theory); and Expert (recognized authority).
Organizations funded by the LHIN were then asked to submit the number of people within their organizations that they believed to fit into each level. From these results, we’ll have a better understanding of the current state and will be work toward what the ideal capacity of quality improvement skills and knowledge is for each of the sub-regions.
Having Bill’s perspective on the Table has certainly grounded our work in the practical and in ensuring that all providers, but particularly those who interact with patients most, are included within the culture of quality – ensuring they have a voice in improvements.
We asked Bill why he joined the Regional Quality Table
“I have been a patient advisor for almost 15 years, spending time with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, the Erie St. Clair CCAC, The Thamesview Family Health Team and Health Quality Ontario. Along with that, I was a care giver for my father before he died and now I look after my 86 year old mother. So, the future of the system and changes (like the introduction of Patients First) are of major concern to me. This background enables me to think outside the box and I don't get tied up in the “that's the way we have always done it.”
When the opportunity came along to join the Regional Quality Table, I took it for a couple reasons: 1) My experience as a patient advisor has given me a working knowledge of the various operations in health care (e.g., hospitals, CCACs, home care and long-term care) and 2), I was aware of the good, bad and the ugly in the system.
By becoming basically a community representative at the table, I can freely express my opinion on issues and don't need to worry about repercussions from where I work or the people I work with. Another advantage I have is that by having been involved in the various groups as an advisor, I have built a large network of people that I can call on for information so even though I don't work in health care, I have access to all kinds of information in multiple disciplines.
There is a lot of work to be done but I’m hopeful that we’ll move forward towards our set targets.”