GRASS-ROOTS QI
July 1, 1999 2 minutes read
GRASS-ROOTS QI
It’s good to have performance improvement projects percolating systemwide, but managing that much data can be an insidious resource drain. Anne Casey, performance improvement manager at the 156-bed Columbus (OH) Community Hospital, applied her QI smarts to the problem. Now her database handles the job.
PROBLEM
Different practice areas used different measuring and reporting methods. Tracking and comparing improvements across departments, over time, was nearly impossible. Casey and her staff spent days typing PI meeting minutes. Despite elaborate preparations, she remarks, "It was really hard to hold the doctors in monthly meetings for a whole hour."
SOLUTIONS
Casey designed a PI database and a standard, one-sheet collection form using Microsoft’s Access software. "We thought the practice areas would balk at the suggestion of entering data on a form we designed," Casey notes. "But they liked it because it was less work than designing their own forms." Each PI initiative is identified by number, initiation date, project leader, benchmarks, etc. Casey can create reports on outcomes and trends, linking them to the system’s priorities and PI goals.
RESULTS
The electronic system reduces invalid comparisons and makes timely, unit-specific data available on demand. The PI staff spends about 90 minutes updating forms after each meeting. Instead of preparing handouts, Casey projects reports on the screen. Meeting times are down to 45 or 50 minutes. "People spend less time trying to figure out what the forms mean, and more time looking at the data. Now they’re staying and asking questions. That says they’re paying attention!" she notes. Next steps:
1. Complete security locks on the data and provide continuous access by authorized personnel.
2. Consider additional applications of PI data.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Anne Casey, Performance Improvement Manager, Columbus Community Hospital, 1430 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43085. Telephone: (614) 445-7001.
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