Evidence-Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim
Healthcare organizations continually seek to optimize healthcare performance. For years, this approach was a three-pronged one known as the Triple Aim, with efforts focused on improved population health, enhanced patient experience, and lower healthcare costs.
More recently, this approach has evolved to a Quadruple Aim by including a focus on improving the work life of healthcare providers. Each of these measures are impacted by decisions made at the organizational level, and organizations have increasingly turned to EBP to inform and justify these decisions.
Read the articles by Sikka, Morath, & Leape (2015); Crabtree, Brennan, Davis, & Coyle (2016); and Kim et al. (2016) provided in the Resources.
Reflect on how EBP might impact (or not impact) the Quadruple Aim in healthcare.
Consider the impact that EBP may have on factors impacting these quadruple aim elements, such as preventable medical errors or healthcare delivery.
To Complete:
Write a brief analysis (no longer than 2 pages) of the connection between EBP and the Quadruple Aim.
Your analysis should address how EBP might (or might not) help reach the Quadruple Aim, including each of the four measures of:
Patient experience
Population health
Costs
Work life of healthcare providers
Sample Answer
The Interplay of Evidence-Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations are continuously striving for optimal performance, an endeavor now encapsulated by the Quadruple Aim. This framework expands upon the traditional Triple Aim (improved population health, enhanced patient experience, and lower healthcare costs) by adding a crucial fourth dimension: improving the work life of healthcare providers. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) serves as a foundational approach that can significantly impact the achievement of each of these four aims. This analysis will explore the multifaceted connection between EBP and the Quadruple Aim, considering how EBP can either facilitate or, in some instances, pose challenges to reaching these critical objectives.