QI Q & A

The Impact of QI
February 2001
By: Brian Loebig

Question:
At what point can we determine that the quality improvement process, has had an impact on program performance? Who determines whether or not this process has an impact on improving program performance?

Response:
The main reason we look for improvement in program performance is to impact those individuals we serve, i.e. our customers/consumers. Therefore, I think the customer ultimately decides whether or not our quality improvement efforts have made an improvement by experiencing the impact our efforts have had in their lives. By directly soliciting their thoughts, opinions and participation, they will reveal the impact (positive outcomes) that they have experienced.

Staff will also decide whether or not improvement efforts have made an impact on program performance. However, to measure program performance, we need to determine what good performance means. Is it a reduction in billing times?, a decreased waiting time for service?, increased revenue?, a reduction in recidivism?, or file review consistency between offices? A common way to measure the impact of program performance is to begin benchmarking important program variables. For example, if a program goal is to reduce billing times, to better serve our customers, we can measure the current amount of it takes before a bill is processed. We can then compare that to how long billing takes after the process has been improved and continue to benchmark our performance against our own or others performance.

Funders may also decide if your QI efforts have had an impact on improving program performance. Most proposal and grant requests require the identification of measurable outcomes. A program's success will be measured against the standards it set for itself in the original proposal.

Accrediting bodies, such as COA and JCAHO, require that organizations have a quality improvement plan, which identifies the means, methods and measures it will use to continually improve services. These organizations will also ensure that an agency is following the plan that it has developed for itself.

Brian Loebig, MBA, CADCIII, is the Vice President of Quality Improvement for Liberty Lutheran Services and is the QLN Facilitator.  He is also the Social Service Quality Advisor for QualityToday.com.