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New Mexico Department of Health STD Quality Improvement Demonstration Project Constructs a Flow Chart to Improve Programming

Related Categories: Performance Management and Quality Improvement (PMQI)

Topic: Performance Management and Quality Improvement

Date: 4/26/2011

On April 15, 2011, PHF’s Senior Quality Advisor, Jack Moran, facilitated the first team meeting of the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Quality Improvement Demonstration Project, New Mexico Department of Health.  Fourteen STD program employees participated in identifying STD program areas that needed improvement.  The team agreed to target improving the disease investigation process.
 
The team constructed a flow chart illustrating the steps of the current investigation process, which included opening a field record, contact interviewing, and closing out a case.  They decided to focus on the areas that would be most affected by the current staff shortage.  A number of delays and missed opportunities to increase STD contacts were identified in the flow chart.  The team determined to develop improvements around contact interviewing and focus on disease clusters.  As next steps, New Mexico STD subject matter experts will make recommendations for improving these two areas and share findings with the entire team prior to the next meeting.  The team will reconvene in May to review the feasibility of the recommendations and decide which improvements to pilot test in New Mexico STD Regions 1 and 3.   
 
Click here for more information on this project and to learn about other CDC-funded STD Quality Improvement Demonstration Projects.
 
Learn how to construct a flow chart of a process in your organization.
 
Visit the PHF Resources and Tools page to find more QI tools and white papers.

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New Mexico Department of Health STD Quality Improvement Demonstration Project Constructs a Flow Chart to Improve Programming