It’s up to individual clinical teams to collect detailed data from each case and create quality-improvement plans that get results. It can be hard to harvest the data from electronic health records, and busy clinicians often take on the burden of manually abstracting it to a database.
Attaining distinction as an ED Center of Excellence requires effective data solutions.
Empowered patients now have more choices than ever when deciding where to seek health care. Initiatives like price transparency have increased competition, and new modalities like telemedicine and virtual urgent care are changing the market, leading to declining patient visits, especially in emergency departments.
When it comes to providing patients the best possible care (and staying viable amid revenue declines), organizations that are accredited to provide high-quality specialty care lead the way. Accreditation organizations and programs are expanding each year, including stroke programs, heart attack care, pain management, trauma, and geriatric care, to name just a few. The one thing almost all of these programs have in common is that the ED team plays a critical role as the frontline for treatment.
The process of accreditation or being named as a center of excellence is an arduous task, involving the entire clinical team. Even though the journey may be difficult, the benefits to patients, communities, and organizations are many.
Clinical Excellence
Rigorous accreditation standards provide patients with assurance of finding the best specialty care. Clinical outcomes data from these facilities is collected and entered into registries and databases, then analyzed and compared to those of other facilities and industry benchmarks.
It’s up to individual clinical teams to collect detailed data from each case and create quality-improvement plans that get results. It can be hard to harvest the data from electronic health records, and busy clinicians often take on the burden of manually abstracting it to a database.
Specialized data analysis solutions from d2i are indispensable when it comes to seeking accreditation. ED reports and performance-monitoring dashboards allow clinicians to find hidden improvement opportunities. Facilities take pride in providing superior care and utilizing their highly trained staff to continuously improve. An article by BMC Health Research summed it up perfectly:
Medical care isn’t delivered in assembly-line fashion but instead is customized to address the specific wants and needs of individuals experiencing targeted health matters.
Emergency departments can distinguish themselves as less of destination, and more of a service — providing the critical first steps to the care pathway.
Is Specialization the Way Forward?
Health care organizations with specialty accreditations have put in the work to attain the best quality of care, creating an optimum environment for growth. Organizations are less vulnerable to changes in the market, declining inpatient care and emergency visits, as well as other environmental factors.
In spite of decreased ED volumes, some conditions will always need emergency assistance and expertise, for example, heart attack, stroke, trauma, and sepsis. The new normal in health care may be establishing an ED or hospital as a center of excellence for specific services or ailments, or expanding into other service lines.
Looking at community need and an organization’s support structure can help determine which specialization program (or programs) to pursue. For example, an integrated system with a robust rehabilitation program would be optimum for a stroke program.
When designing such programs, it’s critical to understand the minute-by-minute care provided, such as door-to-anticoagulation times, and door-to-CT times. Organizing disparate sources of data from EMS, the ED, radiology, and laboratory services can be simple with a data partner that understands the accreditation process and the data needed to get there. d2i’s track record of success can help dedicated teams seeking recognition through accreditation. Request a 30-minute demo to get an under-the-hood look at our powerful analysis tools.