Analysis of the Connection between Evidence-Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim.

Healthcare organizations continually seek to optimize healthcare performance. For years, this approach was a three-pronged one known as the Triple Aim, with efforts focused on improved population health, enhanced patient experience, and lower healthcare costs.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

More recently, this approach has evolved to a Quadruple Aim by including a focus on improving the work life of healthcare providers. Each of these measures are impacted by decisions made at the organizational level, and organizations have increasingly turned to EBP to inform and justify these decisions.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

To Prepare:

·        Read the articles by Sikka, Morath, & Leape (2015); Crabtree, Brennan, Davis, & Coyle (2016); and Kim et al. (2016) provided in the Resources.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

·        Reflect on how EBP might impact (or not impact) the Quadruple Aim in healthcare.

·        Consider the impact that EBP may have on factors impacting these quadruple aim elements, such as preventable medical errors or healthcare delivery.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

To Complete:

Write a brief analysis (no longer than 2 pages) of the connection between EBP and the Quadruple Aim.

Your analysis should address how EBP might (or might not) help reach the Quadruple Aim, including each of the four measures of:

·        Patient experience

·        Population health

·        Costs

·        Work life of healthcare providers

TEXT/READINGS: Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

• Chapter 1, “Making the Case for Evidence-Based Practice and Cultivating a Spirit of Inquiry” (pp. 7–32)
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• Boller, J. (2017). Nurse educators: Leading health care to the quadruple aim sweet spot. Links to an external site.Journal of Nursing Education, 56(12), 707–708. doi:10.3928/01484834-20171120-01

Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay

            The evidence-based practice promotes using existing research material by health care professionals to inform care decisions, thus maximizing the quality of care. As such, EBP ensures that nurses and other healthcare providers translate research results into their clinical practice. EBP is instrumental in the achievement of the Quadruple Aim. Evidence-Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim are linked as they improve healthcare safety/experience while maximizing care outcomes. This paper will analyze the relationship while focusing on the influence of EBP on the Quadruple Aim.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

            One of the significant elements of the Quadruple Aim is to promote and maintain positive patient experiences. EBP significantly impacts patients’ experience as nurses, and other health care professionals must plan and implement care plans based on scientific research. Major EBP elements such as purposive hourly rounding, bedside care, and report promote patient satisfaction. EBP ensures that nurses have access to current and up-to-date information on care plans and procedures while laying core issues such as cultural competence (Crabtree et al., 2016). The EBP model encourages the health care providers to involve the patients in preferred care choices and value and care, thus improving their satisfaction.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

            Secondly, the promotion of population health heavily relies on EBP. In this case, EBP promotes health care delivery to patients and the surrounding community members. Thus, the community members receive accurate and valid information concerning health behaviors, potential risks, and preventative measures. Also, EBP promotes health promotion programs such as community education and advocacy to promote the health of particular risk groups or the entire community. For instance, healthcare providers use research findings to evaluate risk factors for falls among the elderly in the community or healthcare settings.

            Consequently, EBP practices improve the management of healthcare costs as one of the critical issues of the Quadruple Aim. EBP offers alternative and cheap treatment plans for patients, thus reducing the costs of care. Medical errors significantly contribute to high healthcare costs (Boller, 2017). Medical errors result in lengthy hospital stays and readmission that significantly increase the cost of care for the patients. Thus, EBP provides scientifically proven information on accurate diagnosis and treatment reducing extended hospital stays or readmissions that result from medical errors.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

            Evidence-based Practices promote positive work-life experiences for healthcare providers. In this regard, EBP improves resilience, motivation, work safety, satisfaction, and competency as healthcare providers complete their duties successfully and in the safest ways possible as they have access to scientifically proven information to guide their practice (Sikka et al., 2015). EBP promotes cultural competence and diversity, which is crucial for healthcare providers to form positive relationships with their patients and colleagues, thus creating a conducive work environment. EBP improves the health care provider’s knowledge of the importance of work and life balance and ways to prevent burnouts that lead to a lack of motivation and reduce the quality of care.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

In summary, Evidence-Based Practice has a positive impact on the Quadruple aim. EBP promotes professional competency as healthcare professionals deliver care based on existing scientific information. In this case, quality care improves patient satisfaction and experiences. EBP addresses the healthcare concerns of individual patients, risk groups, and community members, thus maximizing healthcare outcomes. EBP promotes positive work experiences for healthcare professionals that are crucial for quality care in any healthcare setting.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

References

Boller, J. (2017). Nurse educators: Leading health care to the quadruple aim sweet spot. Journal of Nursing Education, 56(12), 707-708.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

Crabtree, E., Brennan, E., Davis, A., & Coyle, A. (2016). Improving Patient Care Through Nursing Engagement in Evidence‐Based Practice. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 13(2), 172-175.(Analysis of the Connection between Evidence Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim Comprehensive Essay)

Sikka, R., Morath, J. M., & Leape, L. (2015). The quadruple aim: is care, health, cost, and meaning in work. BMJ quality & safety, 24(10), 608-610.