Backus ranks highly for heart care instructions
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Backus Hospital ranks much higher than the national average in the number of heart failure patients who receive discharge instructions.
Offering discharge instructions to patients might seem like a given, but it is a serious issue nationwide.
The national average is 77%. That means that about one-quarter of eligible patients in the U.S. are going home without getting important information about their activity level, diet, medications, follow-up appointment, weight monitoring and what to do if symptoms worsen. The data is collected nationwide and reported publicly.
How does Backus do so well in this measurement? Staff from several hospital departments took a hard look and decided to make some changes. Starting in January, the hospital’s percentage began to climb — to 83%, then 86%, then 88% and most recently to 95%.
The improvement started with one of the most basic facts of life in hospitals: the patient chart.
Previously, to comply with public reporting requirements, charts would be reviewed after the patients left.
Today, Quality Assurance Specialist Suzan Perritt reviews the charts in real time, as patients are in the hospital. She works with the entire patient care team, and can be a resource to them to help ensure patients get what they need.
Furthermore, studies have shown that heart patients who understand and follow instructions for managing their symptoms have a lower risk of being hospitalized again for heart failure. Hospital readmissions are costly, and many can be prevented.
“Thanks to a true team effort, Backus is making a real improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Dave Whitehead, President and Chief Executive Officer at Backus. “That improvement is being sustained, measured and reported. It’s all because we remembered to ask ‘why?’ — why we monitor this data, and why we’re here in the first place. As always, it’s the patients.”