Quality, Patient Safety, and Communication

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on quality, patient safety, and communication in health care.

Quality (in health care services)

The sum of a service’s properties that satisfy the needs of its consumer, emphasizing safe, effective, patient-centered care.

STEEP

Acronym for the six National Academy of Medicine quality dimensions: Safety, Timeliness, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Equity, Patient-centeredness.

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle

Four-step model for iterative quality improvement: plan a change, do it, study the results, act on what is learned.

Six Sigma

Quality methodology aiming for 3 defects per million opportunities by using the DMAIC cycle to reduce variability and errors.

DMAIC

Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control—the five phases of a Six Sigma project.

Sigma (σ)

Greek letter denoting standard deviation; ‘Six Sigma’ implies process performance within ±6 standard deviations of the mean.

Lean Management

Business philosophy focused on eliminating waste and non-value-added activities to enhance efficiency.

Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program

CMS initiative that rewards or penalizes hospitals based on process, outcome, patient-experience, and efficiency metrics.

Disease Management

Organized strategy for chronic-disease populations featuring integrated care, evidence-based knowledge, robust information systems, and continuous quality improvement.

Intrainstitutional monitoring

Quality checks performed within a health care facility, such as skills assessments or competency reviews.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

U.S. federal agency that oversees Medicare/Medicaid and sets quality monitoring requirements.

The Joint Commission (TJC)

Independent accrediting body that sets performance and safety standards for health care organizations.

Quality Assurance Plan

Structured process to identify, analyze, and resolve care problems and evaluate intervention outcomes.

Peer Review Organization (PRO)

External group contracted by the federal government to review the quality and appropriateness of care for Medicare beneficiaries.

Body mechanics

Use of correct posture and movement to minimize injury when lifting or moving patients or equipment.

Ambulation

Assisted or independent walking of a patient to restore function and reduce complications of bed rest.

Voltage

Electrical potential difference that drives current from point A to point B.

Current

Flow of electric charge; directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance.

Resistance

Opposition to electrical current flow; measured in ohms.

Ground (electrical)

Low-resistance pathway to zero voltage used to safely dissipate excess current.

Macroshock

Hazard from high external current (>1 mA) passing through the body, potentially causing harm or death.

Microshock

Hazard from tiny currents (<1 mA) that bypass skin and reach the heart or nerves of electrically susceptible patients.

Electrically susceptible patient

Individual with direct conductive pathways (e.g., catheters, pacer wires) making them vulnerable to microshock.

PASS

Fire-extinguisher steps: Pull pin, Aim nozzle, Squeeze handle, Sweep at base of fire.

RACE

Core fire plan: Rescue, Alert, Contain, Evacuate.

Oxygen-enriched atmosphere (OEA)

Environment with elevated O2 concentration; supports faster, more intense combustion.

MRI safety

Practice of excluding ferromagnetic objects and using MRI-compatible equipment to prevent projectile and burn hazards.

Medical gas cylinder safety

Proper storage and handling of high-pressure cylinders to prevent explosive release and toxicity risks.

Communication (health care)

Dynamic process of sharing information, meanings, and rules among senders and receivers with feedback.

Two-patient identifier system

Verification method using at least two identifiers—name, birth date, or medical record number—before providing care.

SBAR

Structured hand-off format: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

I-PASS

Transition-of-care mnemonic: Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness/contingency, Synthesis by receiver.

Active listening

Intentional effort to hear, understand, and respond to a speaker, central to safe patient care.

Attending (communication)

Feedback technique using eye contact, gestures, and confirming remarks to show engagement.

Paraphrasing

Restating another’s message in one’s own words to confirm understanding.

Perception checking

Clarifying subtle cues by asking or stating how a message was interpreted to avoid misunderstanding.

Conflict (organizational)

Sharp disagreement over interests, ideas, or values among individuals or groups.

Structural conflict source

Disagreements arising from organizational design, hierarchy, or resource distribution.

Competing strategy

Assertive, uncooperative conflict approach where one party seeks to win at the other’s expense.

Accommodating strategy

Unassertive, cooperative conflict approach where one party yields to the other.

Avoiding strategy

Conflict approach in which both parties sidestep their concerns, leaving issues unresolved.

Collaborating strategy

Conflict resolution that seeks mutually satisfying, win–win solutions through cooperation.

Compromising strategy

Middle-ground conflict approach combining moderate assertiveness and cooperation; each party gives up something.

Patient-centeredness

Quality dimension that respects and responds to individual patient preferences, needs, and values.

Efficiency (quality dimension)

Delivering health care in a manner that maximizes resource use and avoids waste.