Improving Quality in Healthcare

Questioning the Work for Effective Change

Murray Anderson-Wallace, Nick Downham

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Paperback

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QTY:

English

Sage Publications Ltd
01 January 2024

Nursing research & theory; Nursing management & leadership

"This book is for anyone who is interested in improving quality in healthcare. It will appeal to those who are traditionally responsible for quality matters, as well as practicing clinicians and leaders. Unusually, it will also be as relevant to those who have the keenest interest in the quality of care - interested citizens.

It is a deliberate antidote to the anti-intellectual, QI tool driven, mechanistic approach that still dominates much of healthcare quality improvement work. The authors - both of whom have extensive experience of working in and around quality issues in healthcare at a national, regional and local level - challenge such approaches, which they believe fail to take account of patient and organisational context and invite reductionism, cherry picking, atomisation of complex issues, leading ultimately to simplistic and unsustainable outcomes.

Key features of the book:
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An exploration of some of the often-overlooked and misunderstood core concepts of quality; their history and meaning in a contemporary context.
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A framework to ""question the work"" using four interconnected conceptual domains as a valuable framework to consider improving quality and reducing failure demand.
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Critical re-examination of the dominant approaches to change that are frequently adopted in ""quality"" work, many of which have been rooted in scientific management that have failed to live up to their promise - particularly transformational.
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Exploring how an inter-disciplinary perspective can reframe aspects of quality thinking."

By: Murray Anderson-Wallace, Nick Downham
Imprint: Sage Publications Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 242mm, Width: 170mm,
Weight: 390g
ISBN: 9781529733051
ISBN 10: 1529733057
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 January 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Murray has a clinical background in mental health services and psychological therapy and is trained in systemic approaches to counselling, consultation and supervision. He is a qualified groupwork practitioner, registered with the Institute of Group Analysis. Murray has an enduring interest in the social dynamics of organising and has spent much of his career tackling complex socio-cultural and ethical issues, including leading several large-scale independent reviews of care. Murray has provided strategic support to a wide range of national quality programmes and networks in the UK and abroad. He has taught at postgraduate level internationally and is a visiting professor at the Health Systems Innovation Lab at London South Bank University. Murray’s practice also includes work as an independent editor, writer and broadcaster, producing media to stimulate debate about complex professional and ethical issues in healthcare. He is co-author of Networks in Healthcare: Managing Complex Relationships (Emerald) with Professor Becky Malby. Nick is a healthcare quality, systems thinking and organisational development specialist. He is committed to helping clinicians, other professionals and communities be their most impactful in helping people live good lives. He has a quality and industrial engineering background and has spent most of his career working in health and social care. Nick has shaped, and continues to shape, some of the largest and most enduring quality improvement programs in the NHS. He is visiting teaching faculty at the Health Systems Innovation Lab at London South Bank University and works with front line teams, and their leaders at all levels, in healthcare services across primary and secondary care domestically and internationally.

Reviews for Improving Quality in Healthcare: Questioning the Work for Effective Change

"True to form Murray & Nick invite a critical re-examination of the dominant approaches used in a great deal of improvement work in healthcare. Based on their extensive experience of working in the field over the last 25 years, they argue that many of the current approaches fail to take proper account of organisational and patient context; invite reductionism and the atomisation of complex issues, and ultimately create only an illusion of progress. They promote the use of a framework to ""questioning the work"", and discuss four interconnected domains to help guide inquiry. I was particularly drawn towards the chapters on ""Cultures of Quality"" and ""Supporting the Human System at Work"" in which they discuss a wide range of issues that impact on safety. They cite a lot of the great work done by Prof Mary Dixon-Woods (often referred to in this newsletter) and the Harmed Patient Alliance work on ""compounded harm"". Although the book is unashamedly an academic text, it’s also pretty accessible, and offers a thoughtful analysis of how to understand some complex issues with case study examples to illustrate their points. -- James Titcome OBE * email * Of course, no one book could cover the hugely complex issues of healthcare. However, Anderson-Wallace and Downham make a valuable contribution and bring insights into areas where they are much needed. These insights cover both ‘hard’ and ’soft’ aspects. The ‘hard’ aspects include the vital topics of demand and capacity. The ’soft’ aspects include new insights into what the authors call ‘avoiding the specialist, generalist and citizen muddle’. Many healthcare professionals - practitioners and administrators - will gain from reading this book. -- John Bicheno * email * Do not be deceived by the modest cover and title, this book is overflowing with original ideas highly relevant to current primary and secondary care. The authors take you on a journey from what has happened so far to develop and improve care, to a compelling vision for the future. I’ve been working as Primary Care network Clinical Director for 5 years now, and have been a GP partner for 19 years. This book absolutely resonates with the direction I think we need to go. It offers evidence and tools, grounded both in research and their considerable shared experience of leading system change. It is challenging but pragmatic, and it demonstrates what is possible. It has filled me with confidence and optimism for future enhanced approach to supporting community-based care. Everyone who cares about care, and the future of healthcare needs to read this book, and engage in the debate and action that they invite. -- Dr Ollie Hart * email *"