Lehigh Valley Hospital: engaging patients and families.
BACKGROUND
Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH), a 623-bed tertiary care referral center, is one of two hospitals of the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.
Improving patient safety requires active engagement. Many units have collaborative rounds, which family members may join. Family meetings often include multimedia sources to review patient conditions, results, and plans of care. LVH's advanced intensive care unit program allows virtual meetings with an off-site intensivist.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) aims of care are addressed in terms of Donabedian's clinical outcomes (safety, effectiveness, and timeliness), financial outcomes (efficiency), and service outcomes (patient-centeredness and equity).
Two strategies to address the IOM's six aims have been employed--patient engagement and an emphasis on technology. More than $30 million has been invested, thereby creating a digital hospital, which, in combination with evidence-based practice, uses advanced computerized and wireless systems to improve patient care and safety.


CONCLUSIONS
New problems evident once process improvements are made are quickly addressed. Technology cannot fix bad processes; rather, process improvements should come first, with technology then added to enhance those improvements.
Anthony
Robin
R
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. Robin.Anthony@lvh.com
Ritter
Marlene
M
Davis
Ruth
R
Hitchings
Kim
K
Capuano
Terry A
TA
Mawji
Zubina
Z
D005190:Family; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration