In the long term care industry, there is what’s known as the “Quality First Pledge,” containing seven core principles:
- Continuous Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement
- Public Disclosure and Accountability
- Patient/Resident and Family Rights
- Workforce Excellence
- Public Input and Community Involvement
- Ethical Practices
- Financial Stewardship
(Source: American Health Care Association)
Harborside Healthcare, a long term care provider, released a quality report titled, Fulfilling Our Pledge (PDF). From the press release:
In the report, Harborside makes available to the public detailed information on its approaches to quality care, its systems and processes, and their results. Since the pledge was signed in 2002, Harborside has made significant investment in its workforce, its systems and its infrastructure.
As the report reveals, these investments are paying off. Harborside’s report reveals improvements in many areas. Regulatory deficiencies are down, and clinical indicators continue to improve. Harborside has made significant gains in the stability of its workforce, cutting turnover by 38% and the use of agency staff by 83%. In the critical area of customer satisfaction, Harborside was ranked first among its peers in several important categories including quality of licensed care and CNA care.
The quality principles are akin to industry standards, which are beneficial for many reasons. They provide consistent and proven guidelines for what works and what doesn’t, and they eliminate the need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. The principles outlined by the AHCA take into consideration patient care, and workforce and financial accountability. Long term care providers should strive for excellence in all three areas.