Reynolds G, Fisher D, Calingo L, Chong P; AcademyHealth. Meeting (2003 : Nashville, Tenn.).

Abstr AcademyHealth Meet. 2003; 20: abstract no. 566.

California State University Long Beach, Center for Behavioral Research & Services, 1090 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90813 Tel. (562) 495-2330 ext. 125 Fax (562) 983-1421

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To determine if a training on the Baldrige Healthcare Criteria for Performance Excellence can be successfully implemented in a drug abuse treatment facility. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative methods, including tape recording sessions, transcribing the tapes, and using Nvivo qualitative data analysis software to analyze the transcripts were used to evaluate a 10-week pilot training program of the Baldrige Criteria in drug abuse treatment. POPULATION STUDIED: One large residential drug abuse treatment provider located in Long Beach, California. Executive and managerial staff attended the training. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The number of participants at each session was a mean of 18.6 (range 14-23). Participation rates and enthusiasm on the part of participants was high. Overall, participants were able to answer the Baldrige self-study questions and rate their program and departments with respect to conformance to the criteria. Participants rated their organization on each of the seven categories and 18 subcategories. Ratings were highest for organizational leadership and staff education, training and development. Ratings were lowest for strategy development and deployment, measurement and analysis of organizational performance, patient and other customer-focused results, staff and work system results and organizational effectiveness results. Areas where participants needed assistance during the training included learning the vocabulary associated with the criteria and quality improvement; concepts such as the continuous improvement cycle and the use of benchmarks to assess and modify performance needed explaining before they were fully understood as most staff had no prior experience with these concepts. Participants also did not exhibit a sophisticated understanding of the uses of data for analysis and improving organizational performance, despite the fact that most participants were familiar with descriptive data used to describe the program's clientele. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the training was successful in introducing a large drug abuse treatment organization to the concepts and methods of the Baldrige criteria. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, DELIVERY OR PRACTICE: Drug treatment program staff characteristics, including level of education, background as former addicts, and prior exposure to continuous quality improvement methods must be taken into account when implementing a quality improvement program in substance abuse treatment.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• California
• Delivery of Health Care
• Health Services Needs and Demand
• Humans
• Inservice Training
• Leadership
• Organizational Objectives
• Substance-Related Disorders
• education
• standards
• therapy
• hsrmtgs

Other ID:

• GWHSR0003860

UI: 102275539

From Meeting Abstracts