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Administration of medications is one of the most error-prone stages in the medication use process and the least likely to be intercepted. Strategies to enhance safety of medication include implementing bar code medication administration (BCMA) technology. The goal was to fully implement BCMA at the…
This academic medical center developed and implemented a program to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To address the readmissions penalty for COPD, the University of Chicago Medical Center formed a multidisciplinary working…
The blood bank relocated to a new hospital facility while the labor and delivery (L&D) unit remained in the older facility, which was a 10- to 12-minute walk on the same hospital campus. The pneumatic tube system was the primary blood product transport method; however, the tube system was…
Senior leadership at Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System assembled an improvement team to use a Six Sigma approach to improve performance systematically, while reducing restrictive measures. The project highlights the systematic and innovative approach that the team took to push below the…
Outpatient registration at OSF Center for Health required patients to stand in line for extended periods, and some patients had to wait more than seven minutes on occasion. This long waiting time was difficult for some of the more elderly patients. The goal was to reduce wait times, increase…
Surgery case cancellation rates OSF Center for Health were 10.5 percent over six months. This created lost revenue; incurred unnecessary expense; caused dissatisfaction for surgeons, staff and anesthesia providers; and posed a risk to patients. The goal was to reduce cancellations by 50 percent in…
The goal of this quality improvement project was to reduce the length of hospitalization, to improve patient satisfaction and meet the geometric mean length of stay (GMLOS). At baseline, only 61 percent of patients met GMLOS. The project goal was to track and monitor current length of stay (LOS)…
Inconsistencies in the discharge process provide an opportunity to standardize that process, reduce variability and improve information flow during handoffs. Improving the communication of critical patient information should in turn lead to decreased readmissions. The goal of this project was to…
By using evidence-based medicine and hardwiring concurrent review, HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital Highland has achieved 100 percent compliance with core measures for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and surgical care. The hospital completed data analysis on previous…
Readmissions are a burden for patients, families and health care providers. HSHS St. Joseph's Hospita Highland created a multifaceted approach to reduce readmissions by addressing the needs of individual patients, so they would be able to successfully care for themselves at home. Many patients…