QAPI Simplified and Effective for Skilled Nursing Facilities

1. QAPI: A Systematic Approach to Quality Assurance Performance Improvement

SNFs are required to have a QAPI plan, which describes their comprehensive approach to attaining and sustaining quality of care and life. This chapter defines the systematic data driven approach of QAPI in the achievement of performance excellence in the provision of care and services. It outlines the tasks of systematic identification, reporting, investigation, analysis, and prevention of an adverse event; as well as documentation demonstrating the development, implementation, and evaluation of corrective actions or performance improvement activities.

2. QAPI: Making the Connection - Integrating the Facility Assessment, and QAPI Plan Into Operations, Systematically

This chapter demonstrates the relationship between the facility assessment - “who” we care for, how we provide care, and what the operational interventions needed to serve them are - and the QAPI plan - “how” we systematically monitor our outcomes and take proactive actions to prevent and avert harm. The facility assessment is a fluid, dynamic document, that changes as your resident population and needs change. This chapter shares methods to seamlessly connect operations to quality.

3. QAPI: Solving the Right Problem

This chapter will share strategies to identify quality concerns by building a “just” or “blameless” culture. This chapter helps learners identify tools in finding the right causal factors and ways that are efficient, blameless, and of value. It is important to recognize and understand that if the causal factors are not identified, the problem will not resolve.

4. QAPI: Chartering a PIP: Then What? Testing and Sustainment

This chapter engages staff and other stakeholders into the QAPI process through their participation in Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs). When the potential solution’s testing is complete, a sustainability plan is created to be the feedback loop to the QAPI team.

5. QAPI: Running an Effective QAPI Committee

This chapter will provide insight and strategies to make the QAPI meeting operational and vibrant versus simply a reporting meeting where little action occurs. It redefines the responsibilities of the QA&A segment of QAPI and the actions of the PI: Performance Improvement segment.