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Hospitals

HealthInsight’s hospital patient safety initiatives build on the broad aims of the National Quality Strategy for Quality Improvement in Healthcare including making care safer and making care more affordable for individuals, families, employers, and governments by reducing the costs of care through continual improvement.

HealthInsight partners with hospitals at all levels of performance in rapid-cycle projects for collaborative learning and action that accelerate health care quality improvement. Our initiatives are designed to improve quality and patient safety using evidence-based process and systems improvement techniques. As part of a national network of QIOs, HealthInsight has a wide selection of tools and expertise available to assist hospitals in reaching their quality goals. We provide the following services to hospitals:

Statewide Learning and Action Networks focused on reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Evidence-based interventions designed to improve care transitions, reduce rehospitalizations, and reduce adverse drug events through a community coalition.
Training and consultation to meet quality data reporting requirements for Medicare's annual payment update and to assist hospitals in meeting their value based purchasing goals.

HealthInsight is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) node for Nevada and Utah. In this capacity HealthInsight serves as a resource to all hospitals committed to improving health care by linking them to IHI resources, subject matter experts, and mentor hospitals.

Reducing Healthcare-associated Infections

99,000 people die due to health care-associated infections (HAI) every year in the United States and nearly 28 to 33 billion dollars are spent on these infections. Nationwide efforts through many organizations are now working to address this issue.

Healthcare-associated infections

Put patients at risk
Increase days of hospitalization
Add healthcare costs
Are associated with morbidity/mortality being higher in acute care hospital settings
Are largely preventable (via better hygiene, scientifically tested techniques)

Over the next three years, we will focus on four specific HAIs - catheter-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and surgical site infection (SSI). Through Learning and Action Networks, we will introduce tools, resources and support to develop Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Programs (CUSP) within each facility. Our hospital partners will monitor program milestones and report infection rates utilizing the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) database to demonstrate improved patient safety processes and infection rate reduction over time.

Resources

HealthInsight has obtained tools and resources that have been graciously shared by healthcare organizations, healthcare providers and Quality Improvement Organizations across the country. The tools and websites below have contributed to the success of healthcare providers both locally and across the nation. Please feel free to utilize any and all to augment your ongoing patient safety programs.

Websites

Hand Hygiene – the number one strategy for reducing infection

HAI Reduction Tools:

Core Strategies for Reducing Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) (pdf)
Core Strategies for Reducing Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) (pdf)
Core Strategies for Reducing Surgical Site Infections (SSI) (pdf)
Comprehensive Surgical Checklist (word – to allow for facility modification)
Daily Goals Checklist (pdf)

National Hospital Safety Network (NHSN) – CDC Database

Education

Presentation on NHSN CAUTI Definitions (pdf)
Presentation on NHSN CDI Overview (pdf)

Hospital Quality Data Reporting

HealthInsight promotes and provides statewide support in hospital quality data reporting, abstraction, and validation. HealthInsight is committed to supporting hospitals in their efforts to submit accurate, timely data for hospital quality data reporting, which ensures that hospitals, eligible for Medicare's annual payment update (APU), receive the full APU.

HealthInsight asists hospitals with the data-related activities of the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU) and Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) programs. This is accomplished by assisting hospitals with data collection by providing education, resources, technical assistance, and tools; and serving as a liaison in the data validation appeal process.

Reducing Readmissions and Adverse Drug Interactions

Although not a hospital specific focus, success in these companion projects, reducing readmissions and adverse drug interactions will be achieved through community engagement and support. The formation of Community Coalitions consisting of provider groups, purchasers and payers, state and local government, and advocacy and service organizations will ensure success. Everyone in the coalition, including hospitals, will come together to develop systems and processes to reduce 30 day readmissions by 20%, and reduce adverse drug events by 25 – 50% over the next three years.