You are the Quality Director of a local health system. Your organization has decided to seek accreditation through the Joint Commission. Your first task has been penned by the CEO to prepare for the accreditation process by conducting a literature review on the impact of accreditation on quality of care. The review of literature should include the historical underpinnings of quality initiatives since the publishing of the blockbuster report by the Institute of Medicine – To Err is Human – and an evaluation of the developments in quality initiatives over the past two decades. Upon completing the review of literature, you are asked to compile a report highlighting the history of quality improvement and the significance of quality initiatives on the future of care delivery. Your report should support the organization’s goal of earning accreditation through the Joint Commission.

Instructions

Complete a report that encompasses the history of Quality Healthcare, which focuses on the ways in which quality improvement has changed over time and how past initiatives shape current and future quality initiatives. At a minimum, your report should include:

• An assessment of the accreditation process and its role in improving quality of care.
• A review of the quality initiatives that have been developed in recent years and the impact of the initiatives on the quality of care delivered.
• Support for accreditation based on the review of literature on quality from the historical perspective to future implications.
• A discussion on the fundamental changes that have been implemented since the IOM’s report and potential for continuous quality improvement.

Recommendations for your organization to prepare for the accreditation process based on your review of literature and your assessment of the overall process.