Recent
Highlights of Performance Improvement at SHC
-From the SHC Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Department. Joseph
Hopkins, associate chief of staff, chairs the Quality Improvement and
Safety Committee.
Thomas
Krummel, chair of surgery, has joined the Quality Improvement & Patient
Safety Committee
Patient
tracers are continuing on key units. A detailed chart review and sometimes
interviews are conducted to determine if patient care and services are
optimal. This quality control process began prior to AprilÕs JCAHO visit
and will continue indefinitely as part of SHCÕs Culture of Safety and
Excellence. Senior SHC leadership is participatin
Clinic
Scheduling:
Waiting times for new patient appointments at clinics declined from
25 to 20.3 days, a 20 percent improvement. The goal is less than 14
days..
A
program to manage patient capacity during seasonal fluctuations is being
formulated.
A
multidisciplinary team will focus on preventing sternal wound infections
following CV surgery.
A
survey earlier in 2004 showed an opportunity to increase beta blockade
use in patients undergoing elective vascular surgery. Recommended measures
include dissemination of guidelines and providing beta blockade for
high risk patients at discharge.
A
multidisciplinary team will coordinate plans for systematic influenza
immunization in 2004.
National
Patient Safety Goals - Work continues on reducing use of unapproved
abbreviations. "QD" and "cc" are the most common. A team is formulating
an action plan.
Staff
members are being trained to provide consistent patient education, including
information for inpatients on their take-home medications.
Patient
satisfaction scores continue to improve for clinic appointment access,
inpatient care, and patient education regarding take home meds.
Core
measures of quality for acute myocardial infarction and community acquired
pneumonia continue to meet or exceed most University Healthsystem Consortium
benchmarks.
Community
and Patient Relations: Smoking cessation was offered to 100 percent
of patients in applicable categories. Overall, patient contacts by patient
relations staff has increased significantly.
