Creating a Foundation of Quality Improvement through Accreditation Strategies.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Problem: At the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan (AAANM), accreditation from the National Committee of Quality Assurance on long-term supports and services case management is a strategic goal. Achieving accreditation requires a strong foundation and culture of continuous quality improvement. Currently, there is a lack of quality improvement knowledge, skills, and strategies in the organization.Project Aim: The purpose of the project was to identify gaps in quality improvement knowledge, skills, and abilities in the organization and prioritize intervention strategies to close the gaps. The aim was to build a foundation for a quality improvement culture and prepare the organization for accreditation.Project Method: The project was conducted at the AAANM. Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory was used to guide the project. The Culture of Quality Self-Assessment Tool Version 2.0 (QI SAT 2.0) from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) was used as a pre-intervention assessment of the current level of employee-perceived culture of quality in the workplace. The information obtained from the survey generated data allowing the identification of gaps and opportunities to develop intervention strategies for the purpose of building a foundation of quality improvement at the agency. The impact of completed interventions on the culture of quality were measured and assessed using the QI SAT 2.0 survey as a post-test. A continuation plan was developed and provided to the senior executives and all employees of the organization.Results: An overall improvement in the Culture of Quality was identified following intervention strategies, supporting and aiding in the development of an implementation and sustainability plan for creating the cultural foundation for continuous quality improvement and future accreditation.