A comparison of the current condition and the intended future state is necessary in order to plan and carry out an evidence-based improvement intervention within the organization. This comparison will be helpful in determining the goals and expected results that will be used to gauge the effectiveness of the suggested intervention.
Comparison of Current State and Desired Future State
Currently, the organization engages in a number of tasks linked to the treatment of patients with chronic illnesses, chiefly diabetes. These tasks consist of routine patient observation, medication administration, and lifestyle guidance. These days, a number of departments—including nursing, primary care, and dietary services—share accountability for these operations (Bush et al., 2021). Although these initiatives have had some effectiveness in managing diabetes, they are not completely incorporated into the organization’s policies or strategic objectives. An approach to diabetes management that is more organized and streamlined is part of the intended future state activities. Patients in this stage will receive care from a specialized multidisciplinary diabetes care team, which consists of endocrinologists, nurses, dietitians, and health educators. To monitor patient progress and make well-informed decisions about changing medicine or lifestyle, they will make use of sophisticated data analytics technologies. The intention is to fully include these endeavours in the organization’s strategic plan, coordinating them with programs aimed at enhancing population health and cutting expenses associated with healthcare.
There will be multiple ways to observe the advancements towards the intended future state. Primarily, we anticipate a noteworthy enhancement in the handling of diabetes, resulting in improved patient results, decreased hospital stays, and decreased healthcare expenses. Additionally, we anticipate improved coordination and workflow across various healthcare teams, which will lessen effort duplication and raise the standard of care overall. This integration will support the organization’s population health programs and help it achieve its strategic goals, which include lowering the prevalence of chronic diseases and raising patient satisfaction (Gillespie, 2019). Crucially, this change is anticipated to avert adverse effects of diabetic care, including complications, incapacity, and higher medical costs.
Comparison of Measures of Success
The number of patients under observation, their A1c values, and hospitalization rates are the main emphasis of the state’s baseline diabetes management metrics at the moment. On the other hand, more thorough and integrated measurements will be used to determine performance in the intended future state. These will include better A1c levels, financial savings, healthcare utilization rates, and patient satisfaction scores. Additional expected results include decreased drug expenditures, a decrease in hospital readmissions, and a rise in adherence to lifestyle adjustments.
Identifying SMART Objectives
By the end of the fiscal year, increase the percentage of diabetes patients with A1c levels within the target range by 15%, as measured by quarterly A1c assessments.” This is an example of a SMART objective for the primary result, which is an improvement in diabetes management. Other SMART goals for different results could be:
- Within six months, achieve a 20% reduction in diabetes-related hospital readmissions as measured by hospital records.
- Within the same timeframe, attain a 10% increase in patient satisfaction scores related to diabetes care, measured through post-visit surveys.
- Over the year, reduce the average monthly medication costs for diabetes management by 10%.
The patient population, the suggested intervention, the comparison to the existing condition, and the anticipated outcomes are all in line with each of these SMART objectives, which are all closely related to the PICOT question aspects of the project (Boon, 2019). In conclusion, a clear road map for the evidence-based improvement intervention is provided by comparing the current condition to the intended future state, identifying expected outcomes, and setting SMART goals. With the use of these metrics, the organization will be able to evaluate its development and accomplishment of its objectives for the management of diabetes and the general standard of healthcare.
References
Boon, B. (2019). Leader’s planning: SMART objectives. Leadership for Sergeants and Inspectors. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198719939.003.0029
Bush, S., Michalek, D., & Francis, L. (2021). Perceived leadership styles, outcomes of leadership, and self-efficacy among nurse leaders .Nurse Leader, 19(4), 390-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.07.010
Gillespie, D. G. (2019). Issues in integrated family planning and health programs. Health and Family Planning in Community-Based Distribution Programs, 25-41. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429046315-3