Continuous Quality Improvement

Course Details

Course Number: 4633 Section Number: X20

Spring 2012

Location: Online

Classroom Number: Internet

Days & Times:

Internet

Course Attachments

Textbooks

MSU Faculty Member

Dr. Beth Leigh Veale PhD
view Profile »

Course Objectives

Introduction

Being a professional means making an investment in your profession. With today's patient being much more informed about health care and much more discerning about treatment appropriateness and quality, it is vital that you rise to meet the challenges of the patient and health care delivery. As a working technologist, you will be asked to do more with less--more examinations, more patients, in much less time--without compromising quality. As a department director, you will be expected to provide the highest quality care in your department with fewer people and a great deal less financial support.

The changes that have to be made to allow this to happen will be difficult and many times painful. This course is an overview of the concept of continuous quality improvement and how changes can be made more smoothly.

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Delineate the role of the health care manager in continuous quality improvement.
Describe the 8 step model for continuous quality improvement.
Apply the tools used in implementing a continuous quality improvement program.
Identify the barriers to successful continuous quality improvement.

Course Expectations

This course is divided into individual units. A unit examination accompanies each unit of instruction and is designed as an "open book" evaluation of the material. Be sure to complete the unit exam at the end of each unit. Some units may require special drawings, work, etc. Some work is to be submitted by e-mail as attachments. Please use only the accepted formats. The final exam is CLOSED book. Pay close attention to those requirements.

Proctor Forms: You will need to identify a proctor in order to take the final exam. Download the form from this course's homepage and complete the necessary information. Your proctor must also fill in their section and sign it. Proctor forms will NOT be accepted if they are not signed and dated by the proctor. Give the proctor the information section at the end of the form and fax the completed sections to your instructor. The fax number is (940) 397-4845. It is your responsibility that the form gets to your instructor on time. Any proctor form that does not meet the deadline will result in a 5-point deduction plus one point for every day (including weekends) thereafter. The points will be deducted from the FINAL COURSE AVERAGE.

Final Exam: The final exam will consist of a closed-book format, and you will have two hours to complete it. The final consists of 8 questions requiring you to work through a provided scenario. The scenario may focus on areas such as MRI, Mammography, Diagnostic Radiography, Special Procedures, etc. It will not matter what the area is, even if you have no expertise in that area, as it is the process of problem-solving that matters.

*If you have questions or experience difficulties during the semester, please contact your instructor.*

Grading Standards

Grading/Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on the following:

Unit exams 40%	40%
Discussion Board postings and responses	15%
Final exam	45%

The following grading scale is used for this course:

90 and above	A
80-89	B
70-79	C
60-69	D
59 and below	F

Final Exam5/5/2012 8 am to 12 am

Submission Format Policy

A work is to be submitted on the WebCT course site. No work is to be submitted by email or fax with the exception of the handwritten final exam.

Unit exams and Discussion Board postings and replies must be completed on or before the deadline posted within the course.

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Late Paper Policy

Unit exams close on dates posted on the course web site. Exams are not reopened and receive a grade of zero. Discussion board postings must also meet the deadlines posted on the web site.

Note: LIfe happens, sometimes unexpectedly. If something unforeseen comes up, please inform me as soon as possible. Beth.Veale@mwsu.edu

Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Course information, quizzes, and supplemental information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the open periods as posted in the online course. Students are welcome to access their courses at any time.

Attendance is at the student's convenience during the open periods of the discussion boards and quizzes.

Other Policies

Conduct/Honesty/Honor System Policy

RADS 4633 adheres to the MSU Code of Conduct. In particular, academic dishonesty, however small, creates a breach in academic integrity. A student's participation in this course comes with the expectation that his or her work will be completed in full observance of the MSU Code of Student Conduct. A student should consult the Student Handbook for answers to any questions about the code.

Many components of RADS 4633 are designed to be highly interactive with students helping each other learn. Students are encouraged to take full advantage of many resources available including Internet sites, handouts and module notebooks, other textbooks and journals, faculty, and peers. This interactive collegial learning environment is conducive for life-long learning.

Specific components of RADS 4633 are designed to represent the efforts of each student individually and are NOT to be shared. These components include the written assignments submitted for a grade. When students submit their efforts for grading, they are attesting they abided by this rule.

Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.