Clinical Excellence
One of the principal drivers of Headstrong Health is clinical excellence. But do you really know what that means? Today’s blog unpacks this often bandied but frequently misunderstood concept. I explore how it underpins what you can expect from the team at Headstrong Health.
What is it?
In the early 1980’s Professor Neil McIntyre and Sir Karl Popper pleaded for a “critical attitude in medicine: the need for new ethics” (1983). In the 1990’s, America founded the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (ICI, 1991), and Britain established the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 1999). More recently, Australia established the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (The Commission, 2006). In 2008, heart surgeon Dr Michael DeBakey sated, on receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal, “the pursuit of excellence has been my objective in life”. Together, these individuals and organisations represent an emphasis on quality and standards in healthcare.
A simplified way of thinking about clinical excellence is “a healthcare management strategy that is based on building technical ability, fostering personal skills and creating a future legacy all with the central goal of ensuring quality healthcare”.
The technical pillar is understood as the specific capabilities of a particular role. It includes evidence-based thinking and practice; professional and peer accreditation; decision support systems; effectiveness and efficiency; learning and risk management.
The personal pillar represents the individual aspects of the clinician or staff member. It includes interpersonal skills; collaboration and leadership; resilience and stress management; user involvement; moral principles.
The future pillar describes reflective practice for continuous improvement. It includes policy and success planning; teaching and training; innovation; research and development; income generation.
(see Kapur, 2009)
How is it implemented?
At Headstrong, we have incorporated the elements of Clinical Excellence to develop our 3C Culture for principled care:
C1: Client. Doing our best to ensure effective healthcare by supporting clients to receive reliable and effective treatment. This is achieved through routine outcome management, using effective psychotherapy treatments, and placing an emphasis on the quality of therapeutic relationship.
C2: Clinician. Upholding quality healthcare by supporting staff to be the best they can. We do this by encouraging deliberate practice relevant to individual needs; giving access to good quality professional development, and; offering quality supervision.
C3: Clinic. Striving to provide quality healthcare through supportive organisational oversight. We achieve this through evidence-based organisational design, sound clinical governance and continuous improvement activities.
What does this mean for me?
At the end of the day, you can know that Headstrong Health is working hard to provide you with quality healthcare. Our systems, processes and practices have been designed with you in mind, and with your healthcare journey at heart. Your mental health and wellbeing is our number one priority. If we are getting it right, you should feel professionally cared for and valued.
Our continuous improvement practices also mean we are open to your feedback. If you have suggestions for improvement, or would like us to know what we should keep doing, please email us at the clinic.
