Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Description
The Clinical Microsystem Framework is an approach to improving healthcare
quality and safety designed specifically for busy frontline staff. The framework
utilizes systems thinking, creating knowledge of how care is delivered. It
provides staff with a straightforward improvement process uncomplicated by
jargon and statistical requirements. This Framework increases frontline staff’s
ability to identify problems, detail care processes, formulate and measure
improvement plans while fostering open communication, transparency and a
commitment to improvement. The Clinical Microsystem Framework creates a
culture change that enhances safety and patient centered care where
improvement is part of the daily work activities.
Requirements for getting started
The Clinical Microsystem Framework focuses on the small (micro)systems of
care within any Military Treatment Facility (MTF). These are the departments,
units, programs or clinics that are composed of a group of people who work
together as a team to provide care to a subpopulation of patients; possess a
clinical and business aim, linked processes, and a shared information
environment all of which influence performance and clinical outcomes.
The decision to embark upon the Clinical Microsystem process for improvement
may be based upon a curiosity, a requirement, an event, or other need.
Facilities that seek to engage in the Clinical Microsystem process must obtain
the support of their Commanding Officer and notify their respective Service’s
Patient Safety Chief followed by contacting the DoD Center for Education &
Research in Patient Safety (CERPS).
What Leadership Should Know
The Commanding Officer should be informed that the Clinical Mircosystem
Framework is a systems approach to improvement and one of many available
methods for improving care. The difference between this framework and other
approaches is:
• Focused on frontline staff for a bottomup approach to improvement
• The process is simple and allows for immediate improvements
• Creates an environment and culture focused on improvement and
understanding the processes that supports Six Sigma, Lean and AFSO
21
• Requires the appropriate team composition including physicians
• Requires time be allocated to meet and make improvements
• Leadership participation, a willingness to meet with the team monthly
The Process Activity Milestones
Team
Pre-Work On-Site Follow-Up
Identification
Commander Officer’s Invitation
A letter of invitation from the Commanding Officer requesting CERPS
support and indicating support for the effort, will initiate the program
planning process.
Team Composition
Once the commitment has been made, a team must be identified. The
composition of the team must represent everyone who works within the
microsystem; including physicians, nurses, technicians, administrative
staff, civilian, military, foreign nationals. Success is dependent upon the
full representation and commitment of the staff that works within the
specific program or microsystem.
Once the team has identified the following information should be sent to
CERPS:
• Team composition
• Email address and phone numbers of team members
• Point of Contact for all communication
Prework
The prework is designed to guide the team to a better understanding of
how they provide care. It is vitally important that they complete the pre
work as the Clinical Microsystem builds upon the knowledge generated
by the prework. Teams should view the prework as a data collection
effort, where they are collecting data on aspects of their care delivery
system. Some of the data will be readily available through multiple
sources and other data will have to be collected.
The team should meet regularly to discuss the prework requirements
and data collection approach. The time required to complete the pre
work is between 68 weeks. The prework packages have been tailored
to reflect inpatient and outpatient environments. Understand that the
prework has been developed to meet the generic environment and that
modification of the data elements to a specific microsystem is
appropriate.
CERPS will schedule a phone call 3 weeks into the prework process to
discuss any issues or questions the team may have regarding the pre
work.
Please note that the final product of the prework should be a 10 minute
team briefing that will be given on the first day of the onsite visit to the
Commanding Officer and Executive Staff. This briefing should highlight
general information about the microsystem and any discovers made
during the prework process.
Onsite
The onsite phase is a handson guided intervention to assist teams in
the analysis of the prework data, delineation a care process and
development of a plan for improvement.
Requirements
• Entire team must be available for the 3day onsite interaction
from
• Team inbriefing and outbriefing with the Commanding Officer
and Executive Staff
o Inbrief – a synopsis of assessment and discoveries
o Outbrief – a synopsis of analysis and plan for
improvement
• Inbrief to be conducted at 1300 on the first day of the onsite
• Outbrief to be conducted at 1330 of the third day of the onsite
Followup
The followup phase involves regular monthly phone calls with the
CERPS team and monthly briefings. The phone calls with CERPS are
designed guide the team forward. The teams will report on the activities
of the past months and discuss any issues or barriers they are
encountering. They will also report out the data and findings from their
improvement activities.
The regular monthly meetings with the Commanding Officer and/or
Executive Staff are designed to provide the team with the opportunity to
describe what they have accomplished and what serve as barriers to
success. This briefing provides accountability and access for the team,
and affords the Commanders the opportunity to interact and intercede
when appropriate.
Duration of the followup period is dependent upon the team and the
Commanding Officer. Experience has shown that it takes 34 months for
the team to see a measurable difference and 1218 months for the
culture of a unit to change. Successful teams have worked with CERPS
for a minimum of 12 months during the followup period.