People should not only access health care services, but also quality healthcare. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), quality healthcare is the degree to which healthcare services enhance the likelihood of achieving the desired health outcomes of both individuals and entire target population. Even though it is assumed that the US has high-quality healthcare services, recent international reports have shown that this is not always the case. The report that was released by the Commonwealth Fund in 2014 revealed that USA is ranked last out of the eleven most industrialized countries in terms of quality of healthcare services. As a result, there is a need to come up with effective strategies aimed at improving healthcare quality as well as performance of medical personnel. At the same time, effective communication strategies should be used to enhance the quality of healthcare services ( Alkhenizan & Shaw, 2011) . Countries should maintain high health care quality to order to have healthy and productive population.
Initiatives, Laws, and Accreditation Standards for Improving Healthcare Quality and Performance Improvement
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A number of initiatives can be used to improve the quality of healthcare as well as performance improvement. Medical technology, for instance, can be used to improve the quality of healthcare. Telemedicine is one of the emerging technologies that are widely adopted by many hospitals to improve the quality of healthcare. It helps in improving quality by allowing faster response times. At the same time, it can be used to leverage the shortage of medical practitioners, leading to improved healthcare services. Besides, hospitals that have adopted telemedicine can prove that it does not only help health entities to reduce the cost of health, but patients can also save some money if the technology is used, especially in term of transport and accommodation costs. Apart from telemedicine, other medical technologies can be used to improve the quality of healthcare services ( Alkhenizan & Shaw, 2011).
Formation of quality improvement organizations (QIOs) and quality improvement networks (QINs) can also help in improving healthcare quality. QIOs and QINs should comprise of healthcare professionals and other experts who have the ability to review medical care services and provide recommendations to improve the quality of care (McClellan, 2013). The main objectives of the organizations and networks should be to provide technical assistance, organizing learning and training programs for health professionals, and collect and evaluate data for quality and performance improvements. In addition, local and national government should establish programs that are aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system. Effective quality improvement is only achievable when the systems of care are working.
Besides, existing laws can be leveraged to improve healthcare quality and enhance performance improvement. Specifically, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, can effectively be implemented to improve the quality of care while at the same time encouraging performance improvement. ACA provides a platform that allows the adoption of national quality strategy aimed at quality improvement. At the same time, the grants or contracts that are explained in the Act can be used to develop and endorse quality measures, including the information and quality dissemination techniques ( Alkhenizan & Shaw, 2011) .
In addition, ACA provides a clear framework for collection, aggression, and analysis of health quality data, which can be used to enhance quality of care services received by patients in various hospitals. Furthermore, law supports public reporting and communication of performance quality. Importantly, the law created Health Delivery System Research Center that should conduct research on how to healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency in service delivery. Therefore, the available laws, especially ACA can be used to leverage quality of healthcare and enhancing performance improvement ( Alkhenizan & Shaw, 2011) .
Another way of leveraging the improvement of quality care and enhancing performance of healthcare professionals is the use of accreditation standards. The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) should develop and implement the best standards that can help in improving quality of healthcare as well as enhancing the performance of medical entities and professionals (Greenfield et al ., 2012) . ISQua should come up with international standards to guide the quality of care and performance. International Standard Organization (ISO) is also another important organization that can set clear and effective accreditation standards that must be met by all healthcare professionals and hospitals (Alkhenizan & Shaw, 2011). Even though the accreditation standards already exist, they are poorly implemented in some hospitals. Hence, the best way to leverage the improvement of healthcare quality is to strictly and effectively execute the standards.
Communication Strategy
In order to achieve efficient and effective communication of performance data and performance improvement initiatives, concerned authorizes should come up with reliable communication strategies. First, the communication strategy should be simple, but deep in meaning. Communication message should be designed in such a way that makes hospitals and healthcare professionals care about performance improvement and quality of care ( Dobao & Martínez, 2007) . The message should be inspiring and easy to understand and relate with the need to take actions aimed at enhancing performance. At the same time, the message should be linked to the set goals and objectives to be achieved. Therefore, the communication strategy should have a well-designed message that is inspiring and deep in meaning, as this will motivate health professionals and entities to work towards achieving performance improvement.
Secondly, communication strategy should make use of discipline of framework. This means that the messages contained in the communication strategy should be prioritized and sequenced according to their intended purpose. As a result, the communication strategy should use inspire, educate, and reinforce framework. Inspiring messages should be used when introducing new initiatives. The content of the message should contain benefits of the initiatives and should be able to attract the attention of the intended audience, which in this case are healthcare professional, hospitals, and policymakers ( Dobao & Martínez, 2007) . At the same time, the messages should raise some curiosity or change the focus of the target audience. The framework also requires that the target audience be educated. Therefore, the communication strategy should educate the audience, which means that the message should be delivered in dialogue form. Besides, the communication should be able to reinforce existing knowledge on ways of improving performance. Communication strategy can in achieving effective and efficient communication of performance data and performance improvement initiatives when the message is clear and inspiring, educative, and reinforcing the already existing knowledge, skills, and experience of target audience.
Plan for Strategic Messaging
Human beings need to be motivated in order to change. Therefore, the main aim of strategic messaging to employees should be to motivate them to accept and be willing to implement proposed changes. To embrace changed intended to improve performance and quality of health, the message will mainly contain benefits to the employees. The message will clearly contain how employees will benefit if they accept and implement the changes. At the same time, the message will contain the need to improve performance, especially with regard to the healthcare outcome. Employees are likely to be motivated when they know that the proposed changes will benefit them, particularly in terms of executing their roles and duties. Besides, the messaging strategy will meet specific needs of different employees. It will be tailored to meet specific needs of nurses, doctors, and hospital managers. Specific messages will encourage employees to embrace changes and be ready to execute them when they are called upon ( Dobao & Martínez, 2007) .
However, communication to the general public for marketing purposes should be factual while at the same time emotional. The message to the general public should contain facts about the importance of enhancing performance improvement and quality of care. Factual information is important because it will help the public to have trust and support changed to be implemented. The public need to know the truth to trust the system. Emotional awareness messaged will also be communicated to the public to motivate them to take action towards the implantation of the initiatives. The public is likely to take action when they are emotionally enticed ( Dobao & Martínez, 2007) .
Conclusion
The public deserve to access quality healthcare services in order to live a healthy life. At the same time, there is need to enhance the performance of employees in order to promote the quality of healthcare services. However, these are only possible when individuals, organizations, and government work together to improve healthcare system. Besides, effective communication is vital in communicating changes to employees as well as the public. Countries should strive to provide quality healthcare services to their people.
References
Alkhenizan, A., & Shaw, C. (2011). Impact of accreditation on the quality of healthcare services: a systematic review of the literature. Annals of Saudi medicine , 31 (4), 407.
Dobao, A. M. F., & Martínez, I. M. P. (2007). Negotiating meaning in interaction between English and Spanish speakers via communicative strategies. Atlantis , 87-105.
Greenfield, D., Pawsey, M., Hinchcliff, R., Moldovan, M., & Braithwaite, J. (2012). The standard of healthcare accreditation standards: a review of empirical research underpinning their development and impact. BMC health services research , 12 (1), 329.
McClellan, M. (2013, June 26). Improving Health Care Quality: The Path Forward. Brookings . Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/improving-health-care-quality- the-path-forward/
