Good studies take all shapes and sizes
Good studies take all shapes and sizes
The key to having a performance improvement (PI) study that will demonstrate your commitment to an accreditation surveyor is to be certain the study is measurable and applicable to your program, as well as realistic, says Betty Bozutto, RN, MBA, CASC, executive director of Naugatuck Valley Surgical Center in Waterbury, CT.
It is impossible to describe a perfect PI study for all same-day surgery programs because each program has different needs and challenges, she notes.
Practical focus could be beneficial
However, "your studies also don’t all have to be clinically focused," Bozutto explains.
Because she was concerned about the high cost of hazardous waste trash removal at her center, a PI study that resulted in changes that cut the cost in half was conducted.
"The cost of the trash removal was based upon the number of trash bags the company removed," Bozutto adds. "We decided to conduct a study to make sure that the trash in the hazardous waste bags was really classified hazardous."
After a two-week period during which the nurses conducting the study carefully went through the hazardous waste bags and documented the contents, the nurses determined that most of the items in the bags were not hazardous waste, she says.
"We held a staff meeting to present the results of the study and showed examples of what was found in the bags," Bozutto notes.
Gloves, glove wrappers, IV tubing, tissues, sponges with less than 15 cc of blood, and even a shoebox were among the items they found.
"People were just throwing items into the closest trash can, even if it was designated for hazardous waste only," Bozutto explains.
After an educational session that included discussion of what should be in the hazardous waste bags and an explanation of the cost of disposing of hazardous waste as opposed to regular trash, staff members became more careful, Bozutto pints out.
"We’ve cut the cost of hazardous waste disposal in half, but we still monitor the costs to make sure old habits don’t reappear," she adds.
Clinically related studies are important for patient safety and quality care, so don’t forget to use PI studies when you need good data on clinical performance, says William H. Heron, MD, medical director of the Center for Ambulatory Surgery in Washington, DC.
The nurses of one endoscopy center noticed that one physician on staff was not performing a complete exam, says Heron, who also serves as a surveyor for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and sits on the AAAHC accreditation committee.
"The physician believed that he was performing a complete exam, so the nurses took their concerns to the administrator," he says.
A study that used video to document the exams of all six physicians using the center was conducted. The results of the study were used to document the standard of care at the center, Heron points out.
"There were no fingers pointed and no accusations made, but the results dramatically showed the difference between the one physician’s definition of complete exam and the other physicians’ exams," he adds.
"By using objective data in the study, the nurses were able to set a standard of care that protected patients," Heron says.
The key to having a performance improvement (PI) study that will demonstrate your commitment to an accreditation surveyor is to be certain the study is measurable and applicable to your program, as well as realistic, says Betty Bozutto, RN, MBA, CASC, executive director of Naugatuck Valley Surgical Center in Waterbury, CT.Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.