title: Meeting the challenge of managing vaso-occlusive crisis.
abstract: Quality improvement efforts in patient care are most successful when the entire healthcare team is involved in care planning. This article discusses a multidisciplinary approach to the development of a protocol for patients with sickle cell disease experiencing vaso-occlusive crisis. The protocol's goal was to improve the quality and consistency of care for these patients. Outcomes, which were based on data from the 6 months before and after the protocol initiation, demonstrated an increased treat-and-release rate from the emergency department, a decreased average length of stay, and a decrease in the percentage of patient days down-graded by payers.
authors.affiliation: Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, USA. mitchellm@chh.org
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Warren D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lambright
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Breish
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietrick
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeffers
authors.forename: Clarence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: AnnMarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: Kenneth P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Patrick
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponietowicz
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steinruck
authors.forename: Marion Burns
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Tuck
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D019985:Benchmarking; D019090:Case Management; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards*; D015143:Philadelphia; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*