Meeting the challenge of managing vaso-occlusive crisis.
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.
Mitchell
Mary Beth
MB
Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, USA. mitchellm@chh.org
Lambright
Warren D
WD
Breish
Russell
R
Dietrick
Richard
R
Jeffers
Karen
K
Martin
Clarence
C
Papa
AnnMarie
A
Patrick
Kenneth P
KP
Ponietowicz
Eileen
E
Steinruck
Carole
C
Tuck
Marion Burns
MB
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*