Improving Patient Safety and Quality

Abstract

Today’s health care environment demands an increased focus on improving the safety and quality of care provided to patients. Although home care is a separate and distinct industry, home care providers must collaborate and coordinate care with other health care professionals. As the need for coordination of care increases, it is critical for home care providers to not only understand their role in the continuum of care but also how to better align themselves with local, regional, and national health care quality initiatives to improve care. Implementing an effective fall risk reduction program will have an impact on quality, safety, and effectiveness. Therefore, a home care organization that works to reduce the risk of falls will be working to achieve outcomes aligned with the National Quality Strategy as well as Medicare’s priority quality areas for outcomes.