PART 1: A back to basics HMA PRIMER© ON WHY AND HOW TO ENTER THE HMA AWARDS

Hospitals occasionally ask us why they should take the trouble to enter, especially if they are unsure of winning. Others do not feel they are fully equipped with the tools and techniques. Yet others may not appreciate that something simple they have implemented could actually be a winner.

It is with this as a background that HMA offers this back to basics PRIMER. It is a PRIMER mainly for the uninitiated. Experts can contribute by uploading their articles and make comments in the HMA blog for this – details to be announced soon. This primer is divided into five sections:
1. Why should you enter the awards even if you are unsure
2. How to select a project to enter
3. What quality tools are available and which ones should you use
4. A simplified quality improvement project development process just for you
5. How to enter

Please remember, this is a back to basics primer.

1. Why you should enter the awards
even if you are unsure

When you enter the awards you get the following benefits:

a) You signal to your team that you believe they have at least a few projects or programs that are good - that your patients and stakeholders appreciate what you are doing right.

b) When a few small teams start looking for what they have done well so that they can enter the awards, it lights a fire of enthusiasm. The fact is that when you look for improvements you always find it. So teams become motivated. This leads to a culture of self-analysis and self-criticism, leading a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

c) By submitting your entry, you are telling the world that you are proud of some of the things you are doing. Are you not?

d) You incite a hospital wide quality "revolution" including getting your teams interested in what other hospitals entered, what you can learn from them and what they may learn from you.

e) In any event, continuous quality improvement is a way of life, or should be in any business. Especially in healthcare, finding ways to improve service, reducing risk, improving safety are all essential in today's environment.

f) The worst that can happen is that your patients would benefit from improved service that the safety and the hospital real benefit from more avenues and less cost

g) There are many benefits even if you do not win. And if you do, then that is the icing on the cake with industry recognition of your efforts.

PART 2: How to select what improvement to make  (What project to enter)