Theme-based campaigns in health care institutions: a participatory approach to support continuous improvement of professional practices and quality of care
Paris, April 7, 2017 – The implementation of theme-based campaigns appears to be a new solution for improving professional practices and the quality of care through the engagement of institutions and teams. With its methodological expertise, Alcimed, a consulting company specializing in innovation and the development of new markets, is supporting healthcare and socio-medical players in these initiatives, particularly for the prevention of falls in Ile-de-France in 2015 and for access to healthcare for people with disabilities in the Alsace region in 2017.
Alcimed’s methodology: pragmatism and the involvement of professionals
With its expertise in appropriating innovation in the public and private sectors, Alcimed supported the ARS Ile-de-France in 2015 in a campaign to prevent falls in the region’s health and socio-medical establishments. Alcimed also assisted the ARS Grand Est in 2017 in improving access to routine healthcare for people with disabilities in Alsace.
“Pragmatism and the desire to offer solutions adapted to the needs of professionals are part of our DNA. They have always conditioned Alcimed’s action in favor of innovation in public policies. It is for this reason that we are committed to a participatory methodological approach that empowers institutions and involves professionals in the field. And the effects appear very quickly”, explains Marie-Sophie Ferreira, Head of Public Health Policies at Alcimed.
In Ile-de-France, the Regional Health Agency’s “Pare à Chute” campaign has been conducted in more than 300 establishments and facilities since April 2016. 31,464 serious falls have been prevented to date[1]. In Alsace, the initiative to improve access to routine care for people with disabilities in health facilities was launched in four pilot hospitals in March 2017.
Theme-based campaigns: a tangible improvement in professional practices and benefits for institutions
These two projects fit into a context of institutional support for improving professional practices and the quality of institutional care. Given the constraints of the efficiency of the health system, adopting approaches to support professionals in the evolution of their practices is increasingly seen as one of the possible responses to support the shift to ambulatory care, increase the coordination between different structures and limit the number of serious adverse events. In recent years, the HAS, ANAP and the ARS have therefore gradually strengthened their efforts in this area by adopting new Anglo-Saxon methodologies such as thematic risk management campaigns in institutions as well as the tracer-patient method.
Theme-based campaigns often follow the same pattern. Based on a project kit, each committed institution designates a team in charge of carrying out a self-assessment, allowing it to build and then carry out a dedicated action plan over a given period of time.
To support this approach and to accelerate progress, steering and animation times are planned throughout the campaign, creating a spirit of mutual support between peers from the different institutions.
This theme-based campaign approach produces concrete benefits:
- An awareness among professionals of the issues to be addressed thanks to the self-evaluation process
- A lever for team motivation and involvement
- A step back from daily practice due to the participation of professionals in a “project approach”
- New working methods: exchange of practices, interdisciplinarity and decompartmentalization
Marie-Sophie Ferreira concludes: “These types of projects contribute to taking professionals out of their daily work, ultimately improving their practices in a concrete way, which they can observe over time. Everyone feels a little more responsible and involved in conveying the message to their colleagues and other people within their institution.”
[1] https://www.iledefrance.ars.sante.fr/pare-chute-maitriser-le-risque