The author, Cynthia Barnard, director of quality strategies at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and director of Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality at the National Association for Healthcare Quality, calls for a change in healthcare organizations’ culture to ensure data integrity and stimulate faster quality improvement.
Ms. Barnard cites four recommendations from NAHQ’s 2012 report, “Safeguarding the Integrity of Healthcare Quality and Safety Systems: A Call to Action:”
• Establish accountability for the integrity of quality and safety systems.
• Protect those who report quality and safety findings.
• Report quality and safety data accurately.
• Respond to quality and safety concerns with robust improvement.
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