Select an existing healthcare organization. Describe and critic at least one patient safety initiative and one quality improvement initiative. Describe the impact of each in at least 350 words
4b. Identify and describe a theoretical framework or conceptual model from the fields of social science or psychology that can be applied to explain and modify patient safety and quality of care in healthcare organizations today.
For example, read the article on “Leveraging Social Science-Healthcare Collaborations to Improve Teamwork and Patient Safety (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26573242/) to gain insight on how effective teamwork in healthcare has implications on patient safety and the role of team science. Based on what social science and psychology offer us, what 5 recommendation(s) would you make to improve both quality of care and safety. Discuss in at least 400 words
Please note you may select recommendations from this article but please ensure that at least 3 out of 5 of the recommendations are different from the ones identified in this article and that the theoretical framework you discuss is different from the ones mentioned in this article. Research and cite your references completely and accurately.

HOW TO ANSWER

Patient Safety Initiative: Hand Hygiene

Description: Hand hygiene is a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of infection in healthcare settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that healthcare workers clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub five times during patient care:
Before touching a patient.
Before a clean procedure.
After a clean procedure.
After touching a patient’s skin or a contaminated surface.
After contact with body fluids.
Critique: Hand hygiene initiatives have been shown to be effective in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, adherence to hand hygiene guidelines is often suboptimal. Some of the challenges to hand hygiene compliance include:
Lack of awareness of the importance of hand hygiene.
Lack of access to hand hygiene facilities.
Time constraints.
Skin irritation.
Cultural beliefs.
Quality Improvement Initiative: Reducing Readmissions

Description: Readmission is the return to a hospital within a short period of time after discharge. Readmissions can be costly and disruptive for patients and families. There are a number of interventions that can be used to reduce readmissions, such as:
Patient education.
Discharge planning.
Follow-up appointments.
Medication reconciliation.
Home visits.
Critique: Readmission reduction initiatives have been shown to be effective in reducing readmission rates. However, these initiatives can be resource-intensive. Some of the challenges to reducing readmissions include:
Lack of coordination of care between hospitals and other providers.
Social determinants of health.
Patient non-adherence to treatment plans.
Impact of the Initiatives

Hand hygiene: Hand hygiene initiatives have been shown to reduce the rates of HAIs by up to 50%. This has led to significant savings in healthcare costs and improved patient outcomes.
Reducing readmissions: Readmission reduction initiatives have been shown to reduce readmission rates by up to 20%. This has led to shorter hospital stays, lower healthcare costs, and improved patient satisfaction.
Theoretical Framework: Social Cognitive Theory

Social cognitive theory (SCT) is a theory of human behavior that emphasizes the role of social learning, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations in shaping behavior. SCT can be applied to explain and modify patient safety and quality of care in healthcare organizations in the following ways:

Social learning: Healthcare workers learn from observing the behavior of others, such as their colleagues and supervisors. If healthcare workers see that others are not practicing good hand hygiene or are not taking steps to reduce readmissions, they may be less likely to do so themselves.
Self-efficacy: Healthcare workers’ beliefs in their ability to perform a behavior, such as practicing good hand hygiene or preventing readmissions, influence their likelihood of performing that behavior. If healthcare workers believe that they can perform a behavior, they are more likely to do so.
Outcome expectations: Healthcare workers’ expectations about the consequences of a behavior, such as practicing good hand hygiene or preventing readmissions, influence their likelihood of performing that behavior. If healthcare workers believe that practicing good hand hygiene will reduce the risk of HAIs or that preventing readmissions will improve patient outcomes, they are more likely to perform those behaviors.
Recommendations for Improving Patient Safety and Quality of Care

Based on SCT, here are five recommendations for improving patient safety and quality of care in healthcare organizations:

Create a culture of safety and quality. This involves fostering an environment where healthcare workers feel comfortable reporting errors and concerns, where they are encouraged to learn from mistakes, and where they are rewarded for taking steps to improve patient safety and quality of care.
Provide training and education on patient safety and quality improvement. Healthcare workers need to be knowledgeable about the latest evidence-based practices for patient safety and quality improvement. They should also be trained on how to use SCT principles to change their own behavior and the behavior of others.
Use incentives to promote patient safety and quality improvement. This could involve providing financial incentives, such as bonuses or pay-for-performance programs, or non-financial incentives, such as public recognition or awards.
Use feedback to improve performance. Healthcare workers need to receive regular feedback on their performance related to patient safety and quality improvement. This feedback should be specific, timely, and actionable.
Use teamwork to improve patient safety and quality improvement. Teamwork is essential for providing safe and high-quality care. Healthcare organizations should create teams that include healthcare workers from different disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers. These teams should work together to identify and implement strategies for improving patient safety and quality of care.
I believe that these recommendations can help healthcare organizations to improve patient safety and quality of care. SCT