Quality and safety implementation across healthcare augurs with the need for innovation in hospitals. Evidence-based practices can help improve safety and quality within healthcare facilities. Safety and quality measures augur with improving the quality of services rendered in healthcare institutions, a process that requires data which gets monitored and their outcomes used in making vital decisions. Through individual performance and system, effective safety is attainable which reduces the risk potential both to patients and healthcare providers. Facilitating change to improve quality and safety in healthcare facilities base on core nursing ethical principles that all nurses adhere, for instance, accountability, beneficence, and justice.
Mental health has always been associated with stigmatization and disparities that hinder mental health patients from getting treated. El-Mallakh and Findlay, (2016) explained that despite the existence of an effective and efficient treatment for mental health, the stigma associated surrounding the condition prevents people from seeking early medication which is fundamental to its treatment. It is possible to improve mental health treatment success by combining different treatment methods like hospitalization, psychotherapy, medication, and support groups. According to Gaynes et al., (2017), Mental illnesses are often associated with community issues like drug and substance abuse, suicide, and incarceration. Mental health conditions are relatively prevalent across the United States, with about one in five people have suffered the condition at some point in their lives. Mental health cost the United States over $ 200 billion in 2013 alone broken into treatment costs, disability, and lost productiveness in the patients. Safety improvement and addressing the quality concerns could elevate the efforts towards mental health treatment.
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Patient readmission is not uncommon in healthcare facilities within 30 days. Readmission that occurs within 30 days associates with adverse health outcomes because it shows that the patient’s treatment administered never worked as intended. Sherwood and Zomorodi, (2017) opined that causes of such hospital readmissions include poor adherence to psychiatric medication, limited access to community-based outpatient facilities and services, and neglecting self-care after hospital discharge. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released the hospital readmission rates associated with non-mental substance abuse conditions, schizophrenia, and mood disorders and their disparities became 15.4%, 22.4%, and 15% respectively. Patients who suffer from schizophrenia got four-times more readmission rates compared to those initially admitted for non-mental health substance abuse-related conditions.
The patient readmission rates are usually very exorbitant considering the conditions and the corrective treatment the patients must undergo. A typical hospital stay for a psychiatric patient costs $ 5,800 but can get as high as $ 13,000. Psychiatric patients under Medicaid and Medicare got relatively higher readmission rates compared to uninsured ones or privately insured patients. Vulnerable populations got a high probability of incurring inpatient readmission, El-Mallakh and Findlay, (2016). Examining the present healthcare safety and quality provision could reduce the potential of reducing patient readmission rates within 30 days.
In sum, strategic measures could evaluate patient conditions, not only to improve their healthcare treatment outcome but also reduce their chances of readmission. A multidisciplinary approach that includes outpatient services could streamline the community-based health services. Improved efficacy and efficiency across community facilities could improve patient readmission rates within 30 days. Inpatient facilities could work with the community-based health centers to reduce the burden on inpatient care provision and reduce the chances of readmission within 30 days. A holistic approach, therefore, proves vital in reducing the readmission rates and cost of healthcare.
References
El-Mallakh, P., & Findlay, J. (2016). Strategies to improve medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia: The role of support services. Neuropsychiatry Disease Treatment , 11 , 1077-1090. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S56107
Gaynes, B. N., Brown, C., Lux, L. J., Coker-Schwimmer, E., Hoffman, V., SHeitman, B., & Viswanathan, M. (2017). Management strategies to reduce psychiatric readmissions: Technical brief No. 21 . Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm .
Sherwood, G., & Zomorodi, M. (2017). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN competencies redefine nurses’ roles in practice. Nephrology Nursing Journal , 41 (1), 15-22.
