Quality Service Improvement: Integrated Healthcare Service Improvement Project Proposal Guide

Planning the Implementation of Integrated Healthcare

Assessment Guidelines

Assessment Brief

For this assignment, you are required to develop a project proposal for service improvement through integration to address the healthcare outcomes of people with complex needs.

You need to utilise the review of literature undertaken in the Leading and Planning Integrated Healthcare module in Year 3 and critically evaluate how the proposed strategies will lead to the success, sustainability and sustainment of the project.

Word count: 9,000 words

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the need for service improvement that provides an integrated approach to meeting the needs of a service-user or patient population with complex needs from the two chosen fields.
2. Critically evaluate the evidence base for a proposed service improvement, taking into account the context of the service and stakeholder views, and present a robust rationale for the project.
3. Design a service improvement project that is realistic and uses appropriate tools and techniques to engage stakeholders, test changes and provide feedback to teams.
4. Create a detailed measurement and evaluation strategy to demonstrate sustainable patient outcomes and experiences.
5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the need to manage resources and monitor and manage risk during the process of service improvement.

Essay Structure

1. Introduction — 500 Words

An introduction generally needs to answer the following three questions:

What?

The introduction must begin by clearly explaining what the project proposal is about. This section needs to explain, in your own words, what is required in the assignment brief.

How?

The second part of the introduction needs to outline how the project proposal is structured.

Why?

The introduction needs to explain why the topic under consideration is significant.

Submit final introduction: 2 October
Feedback date: 3 October 2024

2. Implementation Strategy — 5,000 Words

Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3 and LO5

You need to:

Evidence Base and Rationale

Critically evaluate the evidence base for the proposed integration and the implementation strategy or strategies that will be adopted.

Take into account:

• The context of the service
• Stakeholder views
• The rationale for the project

Relevant learning outcomes: LO1 and LO2

Service Improvement Project Design

Design a realistic service improvement project using appropriate tools and techniques.

Clearly outline and critically evaluate the project activities, including but not limited to:

a. Project breakdown, Gantt charting and sequencing of tasks
b. Communication and selling the project
c. Collaboration and multi-functional project teams
d. Project management structures
e. Contracting and procurement

Relevant learning outcome: LO3

Resources, Structures, Success and Barriers

Critically discuss:

f. The resources required and the approach to managing them
g. How organisational structures will influence the integration of the project
h. Factors that will contribute to the success of the project
i. Factors that may act as barriers to the success and sustainability of the project and how these will be managed

Relevant learning outcome: LO5

3. Monitoring and Post-Implementation Strategies — 3,000 Words

Learning outcomes: LO2, LO4 and LO5

You need to:

Evidence Base for Monitoring and Evaluation

Critically evaluate the evidence base for the proposed approaches to project monitoring, measurement and evaluation.

Take into account:

• The context of the service
• Stakeholder views

Relevant learning outcome: LO2

Monitoring, Measurement and Evaluation Strategy

Create and critically evaluate a detailed monitoring, measurement and evaluation strategy.

Demonstrate how the project will be sustainable in improving patient outcomes and experiences.

Clearly outline and critically evaluate the project activities, including but not limited to:

a. Monitoring and managing risk through qualitative and quantitative risk analysis
b. Managing quality through qualitative and quantitative methods
c. Project evaluation
i. Data collection
ii. Data analysis
d. Stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms

Relevant learning outcomes: LO4 and LO5

4. Conclusion — 500 Words

Summary

Summarise the key learning points that have emerged from the project proposal.

Recommendations

Summarise what may need to be included in your development plan to successfully improve your leadership skills.

5. References

Appropriate referencing is an important element of academic writing.

Ensure that you use the most up-to-date University of West London referencing guide available through the library website. The referencing guide is regularly updated.

Use relevant and reliable sources of information and avoid grey literature unless it is used for a specific purpose.

The reference list should demonstrate wide reading across all relevant topics included in the project proposal.

6. Appendices

Appendices serve both the writer and the reader of the essay.

An appendix may include material that supports the work but would be distracting or too lengthy to include in the main body of the essay.

All material included in the appendices must be relevant to the essay. Links and references between the appendices and the main essay must be clearly made in the main text.

Correctly cite references for any diagrams or other resources used unless they were designed by the student.