Physician Symposiumon Quality Improvement

November 12, 2009

Bob McArtor, MD

Clinical Advisor

MaineHealth

Why QI for Physicians?

• Gaps exist between current and optimal outcomes (well documented for years)

• Disruptive change underway in health care

-Hospitals as guilds and healthcare as a cottage industry are disappearing

-Healthcare delivery is a science based on at least two decades of clinical trials and millions of other studies

Disruptive Changes Underway

-We have the technology to track and report outcomes

-Patients, families and payors expect high reliability and demand we go

there for quality, safety and cost reasons

Disruptive Changes Underway

The Complexity of medical care and limits of human performance now require:

-Health care providers to work in Teams

-Utilize standardized processes of care delivery

-Employ effective communication tools

-Use proven methods to continually improve performance and outcomes

-Measure and report outcomes

Why Focus on Improving Quality?

• Payment will be determined by reported performance as measured in outcome data

• Accountable Care Organizations on the horizon

• IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO for our patients, families and the communities we serve

Goals for the Day

• Learn from your Colleagues• Introduce the Basic Principles, Methods

and Tools of QI that can be applied in your practice

• Gain familiarity with the common language of PI

Goals for the Day

• Demonstrate the VALUE inherent in continually improving outcomes of care

• Define and highlight importance of HIGH RELIABILTY in processes of care

• Convince you that TEAMWORK is critical to achieving performance improvement

• Engage you in identifying future QI Education Topics—Today: Audience participation through technology