Case study: Indiana hospitals improve safety

A group of hospitals that usually fight for business have seen great success in improving patient safety since deciding to work together. The Indianapolis  Coalition for Patient Safety, a consortium of six hospital systems, began collaborating four years ago on a project designed to cut down on medical errors. This week, the group said their efforts have made a significant difference.

The hospital systems said they'd seen the greatest improvement in two areas, cutting ICU-based pneumonia and finding patients at risk for heart or respiratory failure. Over the past year, some participating hospitals haven't seen a single case of pneumonia in their ICU, a great track record when compared with the 15 percent of patients who develop vent-associated pneumonia nationally.

Some of the hospitals also have developed rapid-response teams to quickly address patients who aren't doing well. For example, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers cut the number of "code blues" after heart or other failures by 60 percent in 18 months by using such teams.

To learn more about the project:
- read this article [1] in The Indianapolis Star

Related Article:
HIMSS: Patient safety top reason for IT investment. Article [2]
Study: Long intern shifts pose safety risks. Article [3]
VHA: Prepare for rising safety expectations. Article [4]
Hospital CEO bonuses linked to safety. Report [5]
Joint Commission seeks input on patient safety goals. Report [6]
Hospitals learning safety lessons from aviation. Report [7]