Deciphering the Imperative: Translating Public Health Quality Improvement into Organizational Performance Management Gains

Abstract

With the launching of the national public health accreditation program under the auspices of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), health department momentum around quality improvement adoption has accelerated. Domain 9 of the PHAB standards (one of 12 domains) focuses on evaluation and improvement of performance and is acting as a strong driver for quality improvement and performance management implementation within health departments. Widespread adoption of quality improvement activities in public health trails that in other US sectors. Several performance management models have received broad acceptance, including models among government and nonprofits. A model specifically for public health has been developed and is presented herein. All models in current use reinforce customer focus; streamlined, value-added processes; and strategic alignment. All are structured to steer quality improvement efforts toward organizational priorities, ensuring that quality improvement complements performance management. High-performing health departments harness the synergy of quality improvement and performance management, providing powerful tools to achieve public health strategic imperatives.

Current challenges and opportunities to providing sexually transmitted disease services in STD clinics: A public health leadership perspective

“…As demand for STD services continues to grow, QI is seen as a recognized approach to maximizing the effectiveness of these clinical services while containing costs (McLees, Nawaz, Thomas, & Young, ). Public health QI is growing through the adoption and utilization of QI tools such as Plan Do Study Act ([PDSA]; Beitsch, Yeager, & Moran, ) as well as the accreditation process for LHDs (Carman & Timsina, ). The accreditation process was introduced in 2011 by the Public Health Accreditation Board and launched a voluntary system with consensus standards and measures for state, local, and tribal public health agencies in the United States (Carman & Timsina, ).…”

Defining and Assessing Quality Improvement Outcomes: A Framework for Public Health

“…The framework identifies measures relevant to a range of public health programs, services, and operational processes. Although initially originated as a framework for specific QI initiatives, the close linkage between QI, especially at the organization level, and performance management 38 allows it to be useful within, or considered a part of, performance management efforts. For example, these outcomes and measures may be used to assess changes related to agency priorities or captured within an agency’s performance management system.…”

“…17-19,34-37 Other articles referred to QI outcomes without specifying them. 24,38 Many articles described various types of public health QI efficiency-related outcomes, including cost reductions 22,31,39-42 and time savings. 5,9,21,22,40,41,43 Effectiveness-related outcomes were also described, including increased reach of, or access to, programs and services 5,22,39,41,43,44 ; improved quality of data, 5,43,45 programs, or services 21,31,41,45 ; increased customer or client satisfaction 5,42,44 ; changes to organizational structure 31 ; increased preventive behaviors 5,22,41-44,46 ; and reduced disease incidence or prevalence.…”

“…5,9,21,22,40,41,43 Effectiveness-related outcomes were also described, including increased reach of, or access to, programs and services 5,22,39,41,43,44 ; improved quality of data, 5,43,45 programs, or services 21,31,41,45 ; increased customer or client satisfaction 5,42,44 ; changes to organizational structure 31 ; increased preventive behaviors 5,22,41-44,46 ; and reduced disease incidence or prevalence. 22,43,45 The review also highlighted the need for a robust measurement system 23,31,33,38,47 to accompany the articulation of outcomes.…”

Does intellectual capital matter in performance management system-organizational performance relationship? Experience of higher education institutions in Indonesia

“…Performance is always crucial for both profit-oriented and nonprofit-oriented organizations because it is the actual achievement of the desired organizational goals and objectives (Beitsch et al , 2015; Para-González et al , 2018; Geys and Sørensen, 2018). Performance refers to the results of activities in the form of outputs and outcomes (Van Dooren et al , 2015; Angiola et al , 2018).…”