Challenge
A group of specialty physicians needed to develop measures and methods to help physicians practice evidence-based medicine and behave in new ways that would improve inpatient care. Measures were needed that would accurately assess patients' needs and then, recommend safe and effective care, in a way that motivated multidisciplinary healthcare teams to embrace evidence-based processes.
Actions
A team of physicians and researchers identified, through qualitative interviews and surveys, twenty-five hospitals across the country that wanted to participate in a physician-implemented, data collection and continuous quality improvement effort. Twenty hospitals met the criteria to join the effort and sixteen participated in a two-year multidisciplinary practice improvement network.
Result
The data collection and process improvement effort reached a sustainable level within one year. The process is being implemented across the state of Massachusetts, as one of their key stroke improvement efforts, and the national network is being expanded to include another group of hospitals.
