Implementation of a continuous quality improvement program for percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiac surgery at a large community hospital.
BACKGROUND
Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is widely used in other industries and has been promoted as a method for quality control in medicine. The national databases developed by the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons have greatly facilitated data collection for CQI. Hospitals can encounter barriers to CQI, however, which include creating the proper organizational infrastructure and engaging physicians and hospital administrators in the process. These barriers are particularly evident in large community hospitals.


METHODS
We describe the organizational infrastructure for CQI, including committee structure, methods of repeated data collection and feedback, and maintenance of data integrity and confidentiality. We report demographic data and clinical outcomes for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass surgery before and after implementation of our CQI program.


RESULTS
Since 1995, we have maintained a CQI process driven by repeated collection of valid, confidential, operator-specific data. We have observed sustained physician and administration participation and buy-in. During the follow-up period, patient complexity increased and observed outcomes improved, although the improvement was clearly multifactorial.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe the organization of a CQI program at a large complex community hospital. Our CQI program was successfully implemented, has been sustained, and is associated in observed improvement in patient outcomes. The program described here may be a useful model for other similar hospitals that are attempting to create a program to address quality improvement.
Brush
John E
JE
Sentara Cardiovascular Research Institute, Norfolk, VA, USA. jebrush@earthlink.net
Balakrishnan
Sharmini A
SA
Brough
Joani
J
Hartman
Carl
C
Hines
Grace
G
Liverman
Deborah P
DP
Parker
John P
JP
Rich
Jeffrey
J
Tindall
Nancy
N
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000592:standards*; D003219:Confidentiality; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014768:Virginia