Assignment Guidelines

Evaluation of National Quality Standards / Programs / Awards

Overview: 

• Brief overview of the two programs for comparison

Suggested Programs to Compare:

• Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program vs. ISO 9001
• Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program vs. The Deming Prize
• Any of the following healthcare accreditation organizations:
  • Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)
  • The Joint Commission (TJC)
  • National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
  • Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
  • Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)
  • The Compliance Team “Exemplary Provider Programs”
  • Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA)
  • Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)

• Provide evaluation of similarities and differences between programs. You may choose to include a chart or table to show comparables; however you must also include a discussion of this visual component.

Provide the following in your paper:

• Organizational Profile
  • Background for each respective program  / award / standard
  • Purpose
  • Glossary of Key Terms specific to program / award / standard – This should consist of a minimum of 5 key terms per program. You may choose to place this at the beginning or end of the paper.

  The glossary of key terms defines and briefly describes terms used throughout these programs. The general format in presenting glossary definitions is as follows:

  The first sentence contains a concise definition of the term. Subsequent sentences in the first paragraph elaborate on and further delineate the term. Any subsequent paragraphs (although not required) provide examples, descriptive information, or key linkages to other criteria/information.

  • Criteria
  • Principles  / Critical Factors
  • Philosophy Similarities
  • Scoring (if applicable)
  • Cost of application or participation
  • Submission Process & Review Process
  • Identification and discussion of 2 organizations (companies) that participate in these programs or have received an award – what set(s) them apart, what is unique about these organizations – (150 words minimum)
  • Include a summary of your topic and key points.

  Requirements:

  • Must be in a single Word document.
  • Must be formatted according to FULL APA 6th ed. Standards  (title page, running header, abstract, in text citations, reference page, etc)
  • Must address all above elements, or include reasons why information is omitted.
  • Must include level headings that organize the discussion (see APA 6th ed. “level headings”)
  • A minimum of 1,000 words in the core discussion (excludes counting title page, abstract, headers, and reference page).
  • A minimum of 3 resources