NURS FPX 6021 Assessment 3 Quality Improvement Presentation Poster NURS-FPX 6021 Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice 1 ​​​​​​​Abstact

Methods: The study used the Six Sigma Model (DMAIC cycle) as the QI method to introduce psychosocial support programs in the organization. These programs include strategies like patient-to-patient mentoring, support groups, and educational interventions for effective stress management. 

Conclusion: The Six Sigma approach is proven effective for implementing QI initiatives. However, the limitations of time and complex procedures and expensive costs must be addressed promptly to avoid implementation hindrances. On the other hand, psychosocial support using peer mentoring, support groups, and patient education is an effective and evidence-based strategy to minimize stress among CKD patients. Nevertheless, successful execution requires interprofessional collaboration. This coordination is essential to ensure accountability and foster a sense of ownership, encouraging teams to make shared decisions and improve the quality of care for the patients. 

Quality Improvement (QI) Method

The DMAIC approach, an integral component of the Six Sigma initiative, is a quality improvement method used in healthcare organizations. DMAIC is an abbreviation for “define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.” This method is used in healthcare systems to improve healthcare delivery, quality of care, and patient safety (Monday, 2022). Below are presented the steps of the DMAIC approach integrated with our QI initiative. 

• Define: The initial step is to recognize the problem and define the initiative’s brief goals, helping stakeholders establish a process map for further implementation. Depression and stress in CKD patients, for instance, is the defined problem in our initiative. 
• Measure: Collecting data from the organization to establish baseline metrics is essential to measure pre- and post-implementation results. For example, we collected data on the current state of clinical outcomes and established desired goals to minimize stress and improve the quality of life for CKD patients. 
• Analyze: Along with the baseline data and the current organizational environment, this step enables stakeholders to recognize the errors, practice deviations, and risk factors within the organization. For our QI initiative, we could identify the loopholes in the mental health services and psychosocial support to address them using targeted interventions. 
• Improve: This is the crucial step in establishing and executing change strategies within the organization. The proposed strategy for North Texas Medical Center is comprehensive psychosocial support programs, including patient-to-patient mentoring, support groups, and educational sessions. 
• Control: The final step of this cycle involves post-intervention monitoring and evaluation. This is essential to bring further improvements and ensure the plan’s sustainability. 

Challenges of QI Method

The DMAIC approach is a robust quality improvement method. However, several challenges are associated with the model. The complexity of the process and expensive costs are significant hindrances to the model’s effectiveness. According to Sony et al. (2020), the Six Sigma method is a multifarious cycle with extensive data collection, resulting in a time-consuming process. Moreover, the authors claim that applying the Six Sigma method is expensive and yields minimal benefits to the organization. Thus, it is essential to address these issues by prioritizing tasks to streamline the process and utilize technology for data analysis to combat time constraints. Additionally, to optimize resources, the stakeholders should focus on essential areas and learn the principles of the QI method to prevent unnecessary expenditure. 

Evidence to Support QI Method

The DMAIC approach is a well-recognized and commonly used QI method in the healthcare industry. It is an evidence-based method used to enhance the quality of care and bring positive patient outcomes. The two distinct studies support using the Six Sigma DMAIC approach in the healthcare sector. A peer-reviewed article presents that this methodology has resulted in several benefits within healthcare organizations, such as improving operational efficiency, reducing medical errors, lessening patient waiting times, and improving patient experiences (McDermott et al., 2022). An observational study concluded that using the DMAIC method minimized the number of medication errors by pharmacists, including errors related to purchase, distributions, inventory management, and medication administration in a trauma center (Lourdu et al., 2023). Therefore, the approach is applicable, effective, and beneficial for QI initiatives in the healthcare domain.  Order this paper