NR 506
Quality Healthcare: Measuring NP Performance
Chamberlain University: Family Nurse Practitioner Track
NR506NP Healthcare Policy and Leadership
QUALITY HEALTHCARE: MEASURING NP PERFORMANCE
As NPs, our goal is to better our patients' outcomes. We learn about interventions that
improve the quality of care and how to implement evidence-based practice. These are important
in providing care, but we must be knowledgeable about measuring our performance. The way we
are reimbursed and paid is based on our performance. The National Committee for Quality
Assurance (NCQA) was created to improve the quality of care by measuring outcomes based on
standards (“About NCQA”, 2021). The tool that is used to measure is called the Healthcare
Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS has six domains of care: Effectiveness
of Care, Access/Availability of Care, Experience of Care, Utilization and Risk-Adjusted
Utilization, Health Plan Descriptive Information, and Measures Collected Using Electronic
Clinical Data Systems (“About NCQA”, 2021). The performance measure that I chose was
Prenatal and Postpartum Care under the Access/Availability of Care domain. I chose this because
out of the 4 million women who give birth in the United States, 1 million of these women
develop complications throughout their pregnancy, labor, or postpartum (“Prenatal and
Postpartum Care”, 2020). Providing access to prenatal and postpartum care is essential to
preventing up to 60% of pregnancy-related deaths (“Prenatal and Postpartum Care”, 2020). In
this paper, I will discuss three interventions, effective on patient outcomes, cost savings, and
patient ratings.
, Patient Interventions
Community Engagement
Communities are great for providing resources and support for patients. They provide
services and local networks through community groups and organizations. Communities can help
increase antenatal care because it gives pregnant women access to resources. These resources
would be diaper banks. Diapers are expensive and it is hard for families to afford them. Diaper
banks provide diapers to families in need and are a great way to ensure that babies are getting
diapers. There are also community organizations (for example, churches) that provide clothing
and baby items free or at a discounted rate. Some of these organizations also have mommy
groups that girls can be supported by throughout their journey of motherhood. According to
Sawtell et al. (2018), it has been found in studies that community engagement helps reduce
health inequalities. As an NP providing antenatal care to a patient at her initial visit, I need to
assess their lifestyle and home life. Understanding what they have and what they need, will help
me provide resources that will improve her care and the baby’s care. These women can feel like
they do not have the support and do not know that these exist right in their community. When we
provide these women with the tools necessary, it can empower them and shows them that we do
care. This may make them more willing to stick to their visits and care if we can provide
services that they need. According to Dion et al. (2021), a study found that women who are
"labeled as non-compliant when they did not access the care system that does not adequately
consider their needs.". It is important to support these women and through the community in a
great way. I can measure the effectiveness of community resources by evaluating if my patients
at risk are compliant in visits and their care. I can measure through a survey and assessing their
social life and if they are using these resources.
CenteringPregnancy
Quality Healthcare: Measuring NP Performance
Chamberlain University: Family Nurse Practitioner Track
NR506NP Healthcare Policy and Leadership
QUALITY HEALTHCARE: MEASURING NP PERFORMANCE
As NPs, our goal is to better our patients' outcomes. We learn about interventions that
improve the quality of care and how to implement evidence-based practice. These are important
in providing care, but we must be knowledgeable about measuring our performance. The way we
are reimbursed and paid is based on our performance. The National Committee for Quality
Assurance (NCQA) was created to improve the quality of care by measuring outcomes based on
standards (“About NCQA”, 2021). The tool that is used to measure is called the Healthcare
Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS has six domains of care: Effectiveness
of Care, Access/Availability of Care, Experience of Care, Utilization and Risk-Adjusted
Utilization, Health Plan Descriptive Information, and Measures Collected Using Electronic
Clinical Data Systems (“About NCQA”, 2021). The performance measure that I chose was
Prenatal and Postpartum Care under the Access/Availability of Care domain. I chose this because
out of the 4 million women who give birth in the United States, 1 million of these women
develop complications throughout their pregnancy, labor, or postpartum (“Prenatal and
Postpartum Care”, 2020). Providing access to prenatal and postpartum care is essential to
preventing up to 60% of pregnancy-related deaths (“Prenatal and Postpartum Care”, 2020). In
this paper, I will discuss three interventions, effective on patient outcomes, cost savings, and
patient ratings.
, Patient Interventions
Community Engagement
Communities are great for providing resources and support for patients. They provide
services and local networks through community groups and organizations. Communities can help
increase antenatal care because it gives pregnant women access to resources. These resources
would be diaper banks. Diapers are expensive and it is hard for families to afford them. Diaper
banks provide diapers to families in need and are a great way to ensure that babies are getting
diapers. There are also community organizations (for example, churches) that provide clothing
and baby items free or at a discounted rate. Some of these organizations also have mommy
groups that girls can be supported by throughout their journey of motherhood. According to
Sawtell et al. (2018), it has been found in studies that community engagement helps reduce
health inequalities. As an NP providing antenatal care to a patient at her initial visit, I need to
assess their lifestyle and home life. Understanding what they have and what they need, will help
me provide resources that will improve her care and the baby’s care. These women can feel like
they do not have the support and do not know that these exist right in their community. When we
provide these women with the tools necessary, it can empower them and shows them that we do
care. This may make them more willing to stick to their visits and care if we can provide
services that they need. According to Dion et al. (2021), a study found that women who are
"labeled as non-compliant when they did not access the care system that does not adequately
consider their needs.". It is important to support these women and through the community in a
great way. I can measure the effectiveness of community resources by evaluating if my patients
at risk are compliant in visits and their care. I can measure through a survey and assessing their
social life and if they are using these resources.
CenteringPregnancy
