Create materials faster with milestones
When surgery increases, education response needed
In 1996, administration at Deborah Heart and Lung Center took steps to expand patient volume and services to survive in a competitive market. As a result, the patient education coordinator had to respond quickly to demands for more materials on new procedures and to meet the needs of a new patient mix.
The greatest demand came from pediatrics. To increase the volume of pediatric patients, administration at the Browns Mills, NJ, facility hired several pediatric cardiologists. The change boosted pediatric admissions 36% and surgery 175%.
Hiring several medical specialists attracted a new clientele. One surgeon specializes in correcting Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a defect which occurs when the pumping chamber of the left side of the heart does not grow properly before birth. Few children survive more than one to two weeks without surgical repair, which involves three separate heart operations. The first surgical procedure often is done within the first few hours of life. The pediatric cardiology department predicted the hospital would perform 15 to 20 such surgeries in a year, yet they performed 12 within six weeks.
"This changed our patient education needs. We now get babies who are an hour or two old. The parents need to know about routine baby care as well as the care related to the illness and the surgery," says Nell Kapeghian, MSN, RN, coordinator of patient and family education at the hospital.
To meet new demands, Kapeghian devised a plan for developing materials that would help her respond quickly. Here’s the formula she used to quickly plan, create, and implement patient education materials to meet a growing demand:
• Identify your vision.
When the hospital began admitting neonates for Hypoplastic Left Heart surgery, parents needed information about the problem and the treatment, which consists of three surgical interventions during the first two years of the child’s life. "We decided we needed a handout that would give parents information about what they could expect. That was our vision," says Kapeghian.
• Create milestones to realize vision.
Identify the basic steps, or milestones, required to reach your goal. The first milestone for a booklet might be to create an outline, the second to write a first draft, the third to have the content reviewed by experts, and so on.
• List actions needed to reach milestones.
Write out all the necessary steps for achieving the milestones. Kapeghian uses a simple worksheet divided into columns. She writes the first milestone at the bottom of the first column and lists the actions needed to meet the milestone working from the bottom of the column upward. The last action is at the top of the list. "When you are putting your actions down, you need to prioritize them. Decide what is important to get done first," says Kapeghian.
The first milestone in the project to create a booklet on Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome was creating an outline. Therefore, that step was listed on the bottom of the sheet, and all the actions needed to complete the outline were then written above the milestone. These actions included a literature search, interviewing medical experts on staff, and reviewing similar booklets on the topic. The second milestone was to write the first draft, and the third milestone was to have the copy approved by medical experts.
• Establish a time frame.
When determining the steps to reach each milestone, consider how long it will take to accomplish each step; then create a timeline. Remember to take into account the schedules of the key people who will participate in the project. For example, when Kapeghian worked on the Hypoplastic Left Heart booklet, the new surgeon on staff was a key content expert. To make sure others meet the timeframe, give them deadlines for tasks, and follow up with a phone call.
[Editor’s note: For more information, contact: Nell Kapeghian, Deborah Heart & Lung Center, Browns Mills, New jersey 08015. Telephone: (609) 893-1200, Ext. 4259. Fax: (609) 893-1212. ]
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