Designing a Population Health Quality Improvement Initiative

Designing a Population Health Quality Improvement Initiative

Instructions:

Write a plan for a 2-year long population health improvement initiative aiming to improve adolescent’s mental health, using a population health framework and using quality improvement methods. You may choose the setting and scope of the initiative. Think innovatively, and be realistic.

Introduction to the problem

Adolescent Mental Health Issue

About 50% of all mental health problems in adults start by the age of 14; however, most of the cases are not detected nor treated. Violence, poverty and other forms of adversity increase the risk of developing mental health disorders among adolescents. Adolescent depression is found to be a leading cause of mental illness and disability; and suicide is, in fact, the second leading cause of death in adolescents. (1) One way to improve healthcare services to adolescents with mental health problems is to adopt QI methodologies and develop strategies to implement or disseminate interventions. Nonetheless, there is no strong evidence for the effectiveness this approach in the literature. (2) 

References:

1. WHO. Available from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescents-health-risks-and-solutions

2. Forman-Hoffman VL, Middleton JC, McKeeman JL, Stambaugh LF, Christian RB, Gaynes BN, Kane HL, Kahwati LC, Lohr KN, Viswanathan M. Strategies to improve mental health care for children and adolescents.

Deliverables: 2 pages (Max 1000 words) and 1 table summarizing the QI methodologies adopted and the relevant population HI frameworks in the development of a workable plan to implement or disseminate interventions.

Key points to be considered:

1. Approaches to population health improvement;

2. The interaction between these approaches

3. Quality improvement methods

In this design, combine population health and quality improvement approaches. Apply the methods and principles of quality improvement to a population health issue utilizing the relevant HI framework.

I got an impression that my prof wanted us to integrate the Population HI frame works with the Quality improvement methodologies to form a workable plan delivering quality health service to the adolescents. Pick the salient features of the relevant frameworks (See lecture notes) and collaborate the frame works with the appropriate QI methods such as PDSA cycles, patient, public and community participation, process mapping etc.

The aim is to establish a multi-discipline team to address this population health issue. Describe the interactions between the adopted QI methodology and the relevant population HI frameworks. Comments on the strengths and weaknesses of their interactions and the predicted outcomes. Set up a timeline of 2 years in this plan and specify the milestones along the way to validate the implementation and dissemination of the interventions proposed.

Here is what I think the table looks like:

Summary of Population HI Frameworks & Quality Improvement Interactions