Reference no: EM133847454
Assignment
Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center has released a report on hospital readmissions, covering July 2020 to June 2021. This study is part of a larger review of Massachusetts acute care hospitals conducted by the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA). I chose this hospital because it reflects both challenges and progress in healthcare quality. Known for great patient care and strong community programs, the hospital has a readmission rate of 16.5%, slightly above the state average of 15.5%. This suggests there is room for improvement in caring for patients after they leave the hospital. By looking into their post-discharge care and patient management, I'm hoping to find ways to enhance these processes.
The hospital is committed to openly sharing its performance, including its readmission rates. This transparency allows for comparison with state standards and underscores their dedication to quality improvement. By exploring why their readmission rate is higher, I aim to identify ways to boost both patient care and operational efficiency. This effort not only aims to strengthen the hospital itself but also contributes to broader improvements in healthcare, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
Working toward improving readmission rates and overall patient outcomes, Steward St. Elizabeth Medical Center can target specific areas. Enhance discharge planning by making sure comprehensive discharge plans offer clear instructions for medication, follow-up appointments, and self-care. This will allow patients to easily connect with healthcare providers for consultations and monitoring.
Steward St. Elizabet can systematically improve hospital readmission rates by using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle framework. The plan is where it will identify areas of improvement by analyzing current readmission data to identify patterns and root causes and develop a strategy. Do, will implement the plan and provide necessary training and resources to staff involved in the initiative. A study is where it will analyze the data by comparing the collected data against the set goals to evaluate the impact of the intervention. The act is where it refines the plan as necessary by adjusting the interventions based on the outcomes and the feedback. Following this four-step problem-solving will lead to incremental enhancements in reducing readmission rates ("Minnesota Department of Health. (n.d.)").
Improving readmission rate Steward St. Elizabeth will deliver high quality, safer, and more efficient care, which results in better health and a more effective healthcare system. Enhancing discharge planning is very important because it will lead to improving patient outcomes, increasing safety, and more satisfaction for patients and families. Plan-Do-Study-Act is continuous improvement, which will improve efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction, team collaboration, and risk management.
Before implementing the quality improvement initiative, the report sets the stage by explaining the importance of focusing on readmission rates to elevate healthcare quality and outcomes. It introduces the situation at Steward St. Elizabeth, showing that their readmission rate stands at 16.5%, which will serve as a benchmark. The hospital's readmission rate is compared to the state average, emphasizing the need to address this issue. The goals include reducing readmissions, improving patient care, and tackling specific challenges that contribute to higher readmission rates. This section also outlines desired outcomes such as better patient management post-discharge and improving overall healthcare quality.
After implementation, the report summarizes the initiative's key findings and its overall impact. The post-implementation data are compared against pre-set benchmarks to evaluate the success of the initiative. This involves assessing changes in readmission rates and related outcomes, using visuals like bar charts or line graphs to highlight improvements. The readmission rate of 16.5% serves as a benchmark, offering a point of comparison with national and state averages. The report reflects on the initiative's contribution to enhanced patient care, reduced readmissions, and improved hospital performance and patient satisfaction, along with identifying areas for future improvement initiatives.
Recommendation: Provide a recommendation for the organization you selected so that the organization can improve the quality and/or safety of its healthcare delivery and determine how to evaluate if your recommendations were successful.
A. Develop a healthcare quality improvement initiative using a framework, such as plan-do-study-act (PDSA), root cause analysis (RCA), and failure mode effect analysis (FMEA). Get the instant assignment help.
B. Determine an evaluation method for a healthcare quality improvement initiative for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and describe that method in detail.
C. Determine data-collection tool(s).