Introducing Nurse-Led Patient Education Visits: Empowering Patients and Elevating Nursing Practice.

BACKGROUND: The literature includes multiple descriptions of successful nurse-led interventions, but the effects of nurse-led education on nurse and patient satisfaction in an executive health program are unknown. LOCAL PROBLEM: Nursing staff desire to practice more fully within their scope of licensure. Increased practice demands raised questions about whether nurse-led education would improve staff and patient satisfaction. METHODS/INTERVENTIONS: A structured quality improvement process was used to design a nurse-led patient education program. Pilot measures included 5-point Likert scale patient and staff satisfaction surveys. Nurse burnout was also measured before and after the pilot. RESULTS: Patient satisfaction was high; 96% reported favorable satisfaction during the pilot, with sustained results over the following 3 years. Nurses' sense of achievement improved by 12 percentage points, and perception of making good use of skills and abilities increased by 39 percentage points. CONCLUSIONS: A nurse-led patient education intervention contributed to improved staff satisfaction while sustaining a positive patient experience.

A Process of Acceptance of Patient Photographs in Electronic Medical Records to Confirm Patient Identification.

Appropriate patient identification is a critical component of safe health care delivery. With increasing reliance on electronic medical records (EMRs), errors of test ordering and documentation have become commonplace. Incorporating patients' photograph in the EMR has considerably decreased error frequency and improved health care delivery by making it easier for physicians to identify a patient. We conducted a survey of all 35 physicians working in the Executive Health Program to determine the importance of having patient photographs in the EMR. Of the 35 physicians who received the survey, 26 (74.3%) responded, 24 (92.3%) of whom agreed that it was important to improve patient identification, care, and safety. Based on these data, we implemented a quality improvement project to increase the percentage of new patients having a photograph included in the EMR. Our goal was to increase photograph inclusion by more than 20% from baseline within 6 months without any unintended consequences (ie, not slowing down any of the workflow during the intake process). The intervention took place between June 1, 2015, and February 8, 2016. Using Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control models, the baseline rate of photographs in the EMR was 49.5% (302 of 607). We initiated 3 Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles targeting awareness and data sharing campaigns. After the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, the weekly rate of patient photographs incorporated into the EMR was at 71.4%, which was significantly improved compared with baseline (F test, P<.001). No unintended consequences were identified. Increased inclusion of patient photographs in the EMR aided in patient identification and improved staff satisfaction with minimal interruption to workflow.

A survey of outpatient Internal Medicine clinician perceptions of diagnostic error.

Background Little is known about how practicing Internal Medicine (IM) clinicians perceive diagnostic error, and whether perceptions are in agreement with the published literature. Methods A 16-question survey was administered across two IM practices: one a referral practice providing care for patients traveling for a second opinion and the other a traditional community-based primary care practice. Our aim was to identify individual- and system-level factors contributing to diagnostic error (primary outcome) and conditions at greatest risk of diagnostic error (secondary outcome). Results Sixty-five of 125 clinicians surveyed (51%) responded. The most commonly perceived individual factors contributing to diagnostic error included atypical patient presentations (83%), failure to consider other diagnoses (63%) and inadequate follow-up of test results (53%). The most commonly cited system-level factors included cognitive burden created by the volume of data in the electronic health record (EHR) (68%), lack of time to think (64%) and systems that do not support collaboration (40%). Conditions felt to be at greatest risk of diagnostic error included cancer (46%), pulmonary embolism (43%) and infection (37%). Conclusions Inadequate clinician time and sub-optimal patient and test follow-up are perceived by IM clinicians to be persistent contributors to diagnostic error. Clinician perceptions of conditions at greatest risk of diagnostic error may differ from the published literature.

Cross-Site Scheduling of Endoscopic Procedures Improves Efficiency While Maintaining Patient Safety.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Accuracy in scheduling complex procedures is improved through technology to aid nonmedically trained allied health professionals. We used a new computer technology to assess whether a single coordinator could schedule endoscopic procedures across sites of a multisite academic medical institution, thus improving efficiency within the clinic overall. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team designed a cross-site scheduling model. The first phase involved accurately identifying those procedures that were appropriate for nontrained coordinators to schedule. A pilot study with gastroenterology staff was implemented and evaluated and then rolled out to non-gastroenterology staff. RESULTS: A significant decrease in call volumes occurred which in turn led to a decrease from >100 to 38 seconds in average speed to answer (ASA). A total of 115 hours of manpower was saved with the efficiency of being able to schedule without the need for a second coordinator. CONCLUSIONS: Efficiencies in call volume and ASA led to substantial time and money savings. Because of the continued involvement of multiple work groups, changes were seen as favorable rather than burdensome. Such technology could be used across other disciplines where routine procedures or tests require specific scheduling knowledge.

Failure mode and effects analysis to reduce risk of anticoagulation levels above the target range during concurrent antimicrobial therapy.

PURPOSE: A failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) was conducted to analyze the clinical and operational processes leading to above-target International Normalized Ratios (INRs) in warfarin-treated patients receiving concurrent antimicrobial therapy. METHODS: The INRs of patients on long-term warfarin therapy who received a course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, metronidazole, fluconazole, miconazole, or voriconazole (highly potentiating antimicrobials, or HPAs) between September 1 and December 31, 2011, were compared with patients on long-term warfarin therapy who did not receive any antimicrobial during the same period. A multidisciplinary team of physicians, pharmacists, and a systems analyst was then formed to complete a step-by-step outline of the processes involved in warfarin management and concomitant HPA therapy, followed by an FMEA. RESULTS: Patients taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, metronidazole, or fluconazole demonstrated a significantly increased risk of having an INR of >4.5. The FMEA identified 134 failure modes. The most common failure modes were as follows: (1) electronic medical records did not identify all patients receiving warfarin, (2) HPA prescribers were unaware of recommended warfarin therapy when HPAs were prescribed, (3) HPA prescribers were unaware that a patient was taking warfarin and that the drug interaction is significant, and (4) warfarin managers were unaware that an HPA had been prescribed for a patient. CONCLUSION: An FMEA determined that the risk of adverse events caused by concomitantly administering warfarin and HPAs can be decreased by preemptively identifying patients receiving warfarin, having a care process in place, alerting providers about the patient's risk status, and notifying providers at the anticoagulation clinic.

Once-daily omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate heals severe refractory reflux esophagitis with morning or nighttime dosing.

BACKGROUND: Morning dose or twice-daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is often prescribed to heal severe reflux esophagitis. AIM: Compare the effect of single dose morning (control arm) versus nighttime (experimental arm) omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid(®)) (IR-OME) on esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. METHODS: Adult outpatients with Los Angeles grade C or D esophagitis were allocated to open-label 40 mg IR-OME once a day for 8 weeks in a prospective, randomized, parallel design, single center study. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and validated self-report symptom questionnaires were completed at baseline and follow-up. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed. RESULTS: Ninety-two of 128 (72 %) eligible subjects participated [64 (70 %) male, mean age 58 (range 19-86), median BMI 29 (range 21-51), 58 C:34 D]. Overall, 81 (88 %) subjects healed [n = 70 (76 %)] or improved [n = 11 (12 %)] erosions. There was no significant difference (morning vs. night) in mucosal healing [81 vs. 71 %, (p = 0.44)] or symptom resolution [heartburn (77 vs. 65 %, p = 0.12), acid regurgitation (82 vs. 73 %, p = 0.28)]. Prevalence of newly identified Barrett's esophagus was 14 % with half diagnosed only after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily IR-OME (taken morning or night) effectively heals severe reflux esophagitis and improves GERD symptoms. Results support the clinical practice recommendation to repeat EGD after 8 weeks PPI therapy in severe esophagitis patients to assure healing and exclude Barrett's esophagus.

Care coordination to enhance management of long-term enteral tube feeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A systematic review and meta-analysis was completed to summarize care delivery models that used care coordination and/or team approach methods in the management of patients requiring long-term enteral tube feeding. Our aim was to evaluate team composition, implementation strategies, and the effectiveness of these methods. METHODS: We conducted a broad search of 7 databases from inception to May 2012, cross-referenced clinical reviews and medical guidelines, and consulted clinical experts. Independent reviewers screened eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality. RESULTS: Fifteen studies enrolling 2145 patients were included in this review. The studies described multidisciplinary teams composed of primary care physicians, specialists, nurses, dietitians, and language or speech specialists. Patients and their families/caregivers were also an important part of the care team. The interventions were multifaceted and employed multiple simultaneous strategies that particularly included patient and family education, staff education, and continuous auditing and feedback methods. Meta-analysis suggested no significant reductions in complications (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-1.05), infections (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.48-1.24), and overall hospital admissions (IRR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.13-1.00) most likely due to lack of statistical power. We found significant reduction of total hospital costs (estimates in US dollars: -623.08; 95% CI, -745.64 to -500.53; P < .01) after the interventions. CONCLUSION: Studies suggested a positive association of care coordination by a multidisciplinary team approach and improved patient outcomes for long-term enteral feeding patients. However, the available evidence does not allow estimating the effectiveness of a particular intervention or team composition.

Improving efficiency and reducing administrative burden through electronic communication.

BACKGROUND: The InBox messaging system is an internal, electronic program used at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, to facilitate the sending, receiving, and answering of patient-specific messages and alerts. A standardized InBox was implemented in the Division of General Internal Medicine to decrease the time physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners (clinicians) spend on administrative tasks and to increase efficiency. METHODS: Clinicians completed surveys and a preintervention InBox pilot test to determine inefficiencies related to administrative burdens and defects (message entry errors). Results were analyzed using Pareto diagrams, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis to prioritize administrative-burden inefficiencies to develop a new, standardized InBox. Clinicians and allied health staff were the target of this intervention and received standardized InBox training followed by a postintervention pilot test for clinicians. RESULTS: Sixteen of 28 individuals (57%) completed the preintervention survey. Twenty-eight clinicians participated in 2 separate 8-day pilot tests (before and after intervention) for the standardized InBox. The number of InBox defects was substantially reduced from 37 (Pilot 1) to 7 (Pilot 2). Frequent InBox defects decreased from 25% to 10%. More than half of clinicians believed the standardized InBox positively affected their work, and 100% of clinicians reported no negative affect on their work. CONCLUSIONS: This project demonstrated the successful implementation of the standardized InBox messaging system. Initial assessments show substantial reduction of InBox entry defects and administrative tasks completed by clinicians. The findings of this project suggest increased clinician and allied health staff efficiency, satisfaction, improved clinician work-life balance, and decreased clinician burden caused by administrative tasks.

Teaching quality essentials: the effectiveness of a team-based quality improvement curriculum in a tertiary health care institution.

A unique quality improvement (QI) curriculum was implemented within the Division of General Internal Medicine to improve QI knowledge through multidisciplinary, team-based education, which also met the QI requirement for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and the Mayo Quality Fellows program. Participants completed up to 4 QI learning modules, including pretest and posttest assessments. A participant who successfully completed all 4 modules received certification as a Silver Quality Fellow and credit toward the quality requirement for ABIM MOC. Of 62 individuals invited to participate, 33 (53%) completed all 4 modules and corresponding pretests and posttests. Participants substantially improved knowledge in all 4 quality modules. Study group participants' pretest scores averaged 71.0%, and their posttest scores averaged 92.7%. Posttest scores of reference group participants compared favorably, averaging 89.2%. Initial assessments showed substantial knowledge improvements and successful implementation of staff-developed QI projects.

Effectiveness of a quality improvement training course: Mayo Clinic Quality Academy.

This study assessed the effectiveness of Quality Academy Teams Training, a team-based process improvement program at Mayo Clinic. The study population consisted of employees who attended the course in 2008 (n = 103). A pretest-posttest design was used to assess learning by participants of the course, and gain score analysis was conducted using paired t test procedures. Electronic surveys were sent to participants 90 days following completion of the course to assess self-reported application of skills and process improvement tools in the work setting. The mean overall score (n = 99) for the posttest was 68%, which was a significant improvement from the pretest mean of 48% (P < .001). Survey results showed that respondents (n = 58) increased their use of 36 specific process improvement tools on the job after attending the training (P < .001). Other health care institutions may benefit from the implementation of quality-related training programs that teach employees to use process improvement tools and methods.

8 strategies for hospital borrowers in 2011.

Given the likelihood that volatility and unexpected events will continue to challenge the capital markets, healthcare borrowers should implement the following strategic responses: Protect the organization's credit rating. Identify and address organizationwide risk. Establish a global capital strategy for the hospital. Diversify debt and investments. Anticipate challenges in the banking market. Anticipate challenges in the municipal bond market. Fully integrate leasing into the organization's capital structure strategy. Ensure the solidity of the organization's financial plan and future strategies.