TOPIC: UNIT: cardiac unit DATE: Feb 25, 2022

Providing
Complete
Discharge
Instruction
s to the
Heart
Failure
Patient.

AIM: By 12/31/06 To improve the documentation of discharge instructions for the heart
failure patient from 30% to 80%.
WHAT IS RATIONALE OF QI? WHO IS ON YOUR TEAM
1. Improve patient care 1. Heart Failure Quality Team
made up of: Physicians,
2. Heart failure education for 2. PA’s,
patients improved 3. NP’s,
compliance with treatment 4. Staff / Office Nurses,
plan and decreased 5. Clinical Managers,
readmissions 6. Care Management,
7. Bed Management,
3. JCAHO measures – publicly 8. Pharmacists,
reported Very low 9. CNS,
compliance rate re: 10. HF Clinic Staff,
documentation of discharge 11. Coding
instructions

WHAT IS YOUR AIM?

To improve the documentation of discharge

instructions for the heart failure patient
from 30% to 80% based on the following
discharge criteria as defined by JCAHO:
a. Activity Level
b. Diet
c. Discharge Medications
d. Follow-up appointment
e. Weight Monitoring
f. What to do if symptoms worsen

MEASURES
Outcome :
 Recently discharged patients who
responded to a written survey gave the
discharge process an overall mean score of
3.34 (on a scale of 1 to 4) before the CQI
project, and an overall mean score of 3.67
 after the project. Overall satisfaction with
the rehab process jumped from 3.64 to 3.84.
 The Heart Failure patients to be informed
about how to care for themselves after their
hospital stay

 Physicians and staff should have tools that

streamline documentation and support
quality care

 The community expects to consistently

receive high quality patient care that prevents
readmissions and unnecessary costs Educated
physicians, residents, nurses, care
management

Strategies
 Clarified appropriate placement for HF
patients
 Profiled physician performance
 Implemented multidisciplinary approach to
completion of discharge form
 Developed pocket card for nurses with key phrases
 Placed discharge form in front of the chart
 Shared data
 Revised admission orders Mar-04
 Presented physician data on order set usage April-04
 Focus group with providers
 Increased involvement of Care Management
 Consistent placement of patients on units