Clinical Microsystem Assessment

The purpose of this assignment is to provide an opportunity for students to develop an enhanced understanding of: (a) their respective clinical micro-systems using Nelson, Batalden, and

Godfrey’s (2007) 5 P’s framework and (b) how to apply tools and methods that can be used to assess a clinical micro-system. Understanding the dimensions of your micro-system represented by

the 5 P’s is a foundational first step toward identifying strengths as well as opportunities for quality and safety improvements.
The requirements for this assignment include (a) conducting an assessment of your clinical microsystem using the practice, unit or department profile form in the Dartmouth Clinical Microsystem

Workbook you retrieved from www.clinicalmicrosystem.org as a guide only and (b) summarizing the results in an APA formatted paper. The profile form should be submitted with your paper in

Canvas. It may be submitted as a separate document or as an Appendix to the paper.

1.Review the information on pages 258-266 in the Nelson text.
2.Review the information in the Microsystem Assessment Document. Pages 103-104 and 112 117
3.Using the practice, unit, or department profile form found in the Dartmouth workbook (these have also been posted in Canvas) for your microsystem/project as a guide, assess your clinical

microsystem using the 5 P’s framework. It is understood that you may not be able to access metrics for many of the categories included in the form so informed estimates (based on the

experience and observations of you and/or your colleagues) can be used. If there are categories for which no data is accessible or available, and an informed estimate is not possible, simply

mark N/A in the relevant cell or cells on the table. The same applies to any categories that are not relevant to your microsystem.
4. It is not necessary to complete the exercises outlined in the profile form. Items vary among the microsystem workbooks. If you have any questions on this point, e-mail or call. Examples

include:
5.- Complete Through the Eyes of Your Patients’
6.- Each staff member should complete the Personal Skills Assessment€¦
7.- Complete Measures that Matter
8.- Complete the Core and Supporting Process Assessment Tool€¦
9.- Create flow charts of routine processes€¦
10.Summarize the results of your assessment in an APA formatted paper using the outline found below. The maximum page limit for this assignment is three pages. Strive for conciseness and

brevity.
11. Outline for the Clinical Microsystem Assessment Assignment Paper:
12. I. Title page
1.(Note that an abstract is not required for this assignment)

II. Introduction (introduce your topic and the purpose of your discussion)

III. Body of paper (main discussion; use these section headers or create your own; see Levels of Heading on page 62 of the APA manual if you need information on use of section headers)

– Purpose €“ Briefly describe your clinical microsystem (type) and practice setting (hospital, free-standing, etc.) and why the unit/practice/organization exists.

– Patients €“ Summarize key highlights or insights gained from the demographic, morbidity and other data you collected or projected for your patient population (include as much or as little

detail as you like).

-Professionals €“ Summarize the results of the data collected in the Know your Professionals category. Include any thoughts or insights you have regarding the staffing patterns and mix in your

microsystem and how it impacts service delivery.

– Processes €“ Summarize any key highlights from this section of the profile document and describe or list some of the key processes for your microsystem (Hint: You can find a pick list toward

the miIDle of the workbook€”around pages 15-18 in most of the books).

– Patterns €“ Summarize the results of the information completed in this category.

IV. Summary (summarize key thoughts/points/reflections)

V. Reference list (reference the text and the Dartmouth Microsystem web site as appropriate/relevant)

Note: If you are using the NICU or Long Term Care Workbooks, you will need to modify/adapt your paper based on the unique content of those profiles. Again, if you have questions or need

assistance, don’t hesitate to call or e-mail.

Dartmouth Resources:

1.) Website: Review the Dartmouth Clinical Micro-system Website: CLICK HERE.

Retrieve a copy of the Green Workbook most relevant to your practice site/unit. The workbooks are found under the Materials tab€”select the Workbooks link (or click on the Workbook

below).

You will be using the profile form (or its counterpart in some of the workbooks) to complete the Clinical Micro-system Assessment Assignment. If you are not currently working or have questions

about which workbook is most relevant to your practice setting, feel free to e-mail or call for assistance.