Putting patients first - the Productive Series

"All of the examples here are real-life improvement initiatives at various stages of development and implementation during 2011."

Putting patients first - the Productive Series
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
March 2012

Read more here.

Using care bundles to improve health care quality

"This white paper describes the history, theory of change, design concepts, and outcomes associated with the development and use of bundles over the past decade."

Using care bundles to improve health care quality
R Resar, FA Griffin, C Haraden, TW Nolan
IHI Innovation Series white paper
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
May 2012

Read more here. (Free registration required)

Pathology services commissioning toolkit

"This toolkit is for commissioning community (i.e. direct access) pathology services to support commissioners who have undertaken a strategic review of their existing services and wish to improve the quality, effectiveness, affordability and value for money of these services, in line with locally determined objectives and priorities."

The pathology services commissioning toolkit
Department of Health
May 2012

Read more here.

Additional supporting material available here.

Quality, innovation and value in cardiac rehabilitation

"This resource will help to guide commissioners and providers through real examples of what works and to save others from reinventing the wheel."

Quality, innovation and value in cardiac rehabilitation: commissioning for improvement
NHS Improvement
May 2012

Read more here.

Using care bundles to improve health care quality

"This white paper describes the history, theory of change, design concepts, and outcomes associated with the development and use of bundles over the past decade."

Using care bundles to improve health care quality
R Resar, FA Griffin, C Haraden, TW Nolan
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
May 2012

Read more here. (Free registration required)

Reinventing healthcare delivery

"High quality care and great performance involves leaders making problem solving, improvement, and innovation part of the regular routine of daily practice."

Reinventing healthcare delivery
S Spear
The Health Foundation
May 2012

Read more here.

How to maintain quality during the transition

"In producing this guide, our aim is not to increase the bureaucratic burden on our staff, but to provide practical support so that people can continue to deliver on their respective accountabilities for quality as we go through this transition."

How to maintain quality during the transition: preparing for handover
National Quality Board
May 2012

Read more here.

New intelligence on end of life care in England

"The information contained within this report provides a great opportunity and lever for change and should be used to help identify where to channel our efforts most effectively over the coming years."

What do we know now that we didn't know a year ago? New intelligence on end of life care in England
NHS National End of Life Care Programme
May 2012

Read more here.

Fulfilling the potential: a better journey for patients and a better deal for the NHS

"The future delivery of medical care will need to focus, not only on the development of innovative treatments, but on reducing the levels of stress associated with the delivery of in-patient care."

Fulfilling the potential: a better journey for patients and a better deal for the NHS
NHS Enhanced Recovery Partnership
NHS Improvement
April 2012

Read more here.

An international comparison of supply, utilization, prices, and quality

"This analysis uses data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and other sources to compare health care spending, supply, utilization, prices, and quality in 13 industrialized countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States."

Explaining high health care spending in the United States: an international comparison of supply, utilization, prices, and quality
DA Squires
Issues in International Health Policy
The Commonwealth Fund
May 2012

Read more here.

Health care leader action guide to effectively using HCAHPS

"HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data) is a tool that can be used to help organizations improve the patient experience, and may have a related effect on clinical quality."

Health care leader action guide to effectively using HCAHPS
Health Research and Educational Trust
March 2012

Read more here.

Continuity of care for older hospital patients

"This exploratory paper draws attention to an overlooked but important topic: the contribution that continuity of care makes to the quality of care experienced in hospital by patients with multiple health problems aged 70 years and older, and also how it affects the experience of the people closest to them."

Continuity of care for older hospital patients: a call for action
J Cornwell, R Levenson, L Sonola, E Potellakhoff
The King's Fund
March 2012

Read more here.

Overcoming challenges to improving quality

"Within three main themes, The Health Foundation has identified 10 challenges to improvement that consistently emerge, and have suggested ways to overcome them."

Overcoming challenges to improving quality: Lessons from the Health Foundation's improvement programme evaluations and relevant literature
The Health Foundation
April 2012

Read more here.

International perspectives on patient engagement

"Across countries,engaged patients reported receiving higher-quality care, fewer errors, and more positive views of the health system."

International perspectives on patient engagement: results from the 2011 Commonwealth Fund Survey
R Osborn, D Squires
Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 2012, 35(2):118-128

Read more here.

Quality accounts: 2011/12 audit guidance

"Guidance for NHS trusts on additional reporting requirements to support external audit of Quality Accounts for the year 2011/12."

Quality accounts: 2011/12 audit guidance
Department of Health
April 2012

Read more here and access the accompanying toolkit here.

Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care

"Improvement of hospital work environments might be a relatively low cost strategy to improve safety and quality in hospital care and to increase patient satisfaction."

Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States
LH Aiken, et al
British Medical Journal, 2012, 344:e1717

Read more here.

Allied Health Professionals' QIPP Toolkits

"The Strategic Health Authority Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Leads for England have worked with NHS London to compile AHP QIPP Toolkits, designed to help commissioners design services that are of high quality whilst reducing cost."

Access the toolkits below:

• AHP Stroke Toolkit
• AHP Oral Nutritional Support Toolkit
• AHP Musculoskeletal Care Toolkit
• AHP Cancer Toolkit
• AHP Diabetes Toolkit

How quality improvement collaboratives shape practice change

"QICs offer a potentially powerful way of disseminating health care innovations through enhanced strategies for learning and change."

More black box to explore: How quality improvement collaboratives shape practice change
EK Shaw, SM Chase, J Howard, PA Nutting, BF Crabtree
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 25(2):149-157

Read more here.

Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care

"The overuse of some screening and diagnostic tests is an important component of unnecessary health care costs."

Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care
A Qaseem, et al.
Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(2):147-149

Read more here.

An economic case for involvement

"Meaningful involvement and shared decision making with patients and the public is a key enabler to improvements in quality, innovation, productivity and performance."

An economic case for involvement
InHealth Associates, Frontline, Department of Health
March 2012

Read more here.

Access the free decision support tool here.