Healthcare is a dynamic landscape. Opportunities to Improve Processes, Address Concerns and Deliver Exceptional Care Experiences Are A A PATERENT EXPECTION, A Regulatory Metric and at the Heart of the Heart of the Reason Maany Professionals Chooce to Working to Working to Work Healthcare.
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The challenge
Oftentimes, when people encounter healthcare, this include a surgical visit in an incentive or outpatient setting. A recent cross-sectional study found more than 11% of Respondents Reporting that They’d had surgery in the past year,
For many many in health and especially in the operative setting, surgery is an everyday event – it’s their job, their expertise. But that is surely not the case for the patients.
“The genesis of our process improvement work and the focus and goal of our process is to improve the patient’s experience, reduction anxiety and fear, and ultimately improve the PSYCHOLOGICALDICALDICALGOLGIGIGALGALGIGICALE For surgery, “said anita h. Becker, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Steamboat Springs, Colorado-Based Uchealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.
“Process improvement in the surgical setting often is focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of patient throughput from the time of scheduling until discharge to HOME OREPATINUD. “In conversations with our patients and their familyies, certain themes Around surgical readiness kept coming up with with increasing frequency.”
Specifically, while Conducting Routine Pre- and post-operative follow-up phone calls and visits, many patients and their caregivers expressed fears and anxiatixes related to their care readiness for suggestions. This feedback struck a chord with the Organization’s Pre-Operative and Post-Ranesthesia Care Teams.
The feedback became the impetus for identifying a need for change and process improvement that was focused on the patient experience Apart from the efficiency of time as a metric in a metric in a surgical encounter.
“Lastly, addressing psychological readiness for surgery became a strategic priority for our hospital,” Becker explained. “The Challenge Arose in defining ‘reading’ and collecting data to analyze, support and foster meaningful change for the patient experience. would offer a different viewpoint.
“In an effort to duplicate best practices, a literature review was conducted by our team,” She Added. “What they found was a Paucity of Literature available to address psychological readiness for surgery, and most of what was found addressed fear and anxiety. Knew we were in new territory. “
Proposal
Initially this work was independent of work being done by chris whelchel. Whelchel is founder and ceo of blder, colrado-based healthk, a healthcare consulting firm. Heh completes his doctoral practicum work at uchealth yampa valley medical center and shared his passion for technology and innovation, innovation, demonstruated exceptional analytical skills and a deeep undersstanding of computer Healthcare Systems, Becker said.
“Prior to the Process Improvement Project, We Had Not Considered Leveragging Ai Tools or Ambient Technology in our workspace for tackling these types of large data collections or analysis, “She explained.
“With the tools chris recommended, we are able to capture not only the data but the tone and themes of the conversations in our focus groups beyond just the dialogue. Chris’ Understanding and Sharing of these tools of these to the tie Solution for the collection and analysis of the data we needed to find a workable solution to the challenge before us.
“The promise of Ai, and the hope of its integration into this project, was to alleviate the burden of sift “Within minutes of the conclusion of our focus groups, we had the first-pass workflows and work plans, include themes, key trends and strategies, generated throwing ai tools.”
Staff also found that through this technology, they were able to remove their initial bias planned solutions The focus groups said they needed to be better prepared for surgery.
Meeting the challenge
Focus Group Participants Provided Candid Feedback that Helped Staff Define What “Readness” means and Outline a process for better preparation patients for surgery and beyond. The AI and Ambient tools Helped Put Actions in place that will address patients’ Needs moving forward.
“For example, two very strong themes identified during our focus groups were Increased Caregive Involvement in Pre- And Post-Operative Care and Instructions; and Instruments; Period and while in Recovery, “Becker Noted. “These were two themes that was not on our radar but was filtered and identified through the ambient technology tool.
“We We WERE EXCITED by the Speed in which this data was Quickly Pulled Togethr as Many of Us Were-Time Users of this innovative Approach to Tackling Compleing and Data-Heavy Information,” Sh. Constinued. “What we gained was very valuable information and endless passibilities from ai-generated flows, gpt-combined summaries, task lists and deepers inseights with user bias-and weit waspled in incomplication in income Minutes Versus Hours. “
Results
In the first Quarter Following Implementation of New Workflows and Tools, The Quarter 3 Patient Experience (Patient Experience is measured Quarterly) Moved to 100%, BECKER reported.
“We feel certain this was comforted by implementing tools and processes that came directly from identified trends, themes and suggested ai workflows,” She said.
“These include a new communication protocol, evaluation and renewed Utilization of available ehr tools that was not being optimizedAnd significant change in workflows across the peri-operative departments driven by trends identified during during our focus group, “She added. Improvement in Patient Experience will continue and become standard practice. “
Advice for other
Important Considerations when Choosing Experts in this Emerging Field Are Many, Becker Advised.
“First and foremost, it is important to choose an expert with healthcare experience,” She said. “A Background in our Industry Allows for a Deep Understanding of Healthcare’s Mission While also Having the ability to Navigate to Navigate the Complexities of Oor Environment Specific to Regulatory Complanie Patient Privacy and Data Security.
“Other Considerations when Leveraaging ai would be to: clearly define project goals; ENSURE DATA Quality; evaluate the ability to adapt, scale and monitor any project implementation; Compliance, “She Added.
It’s also important to factor in Patient Trust and Experience, She Advised.
“Prior to implementation of ai tools in this project, all focus group participants were informed of the plan, collection of data, and use and retention of all information Gathered DURING Each Session,” SHE ExPLAIND. “Participants were able to ask questions, determine their level of participation, View the AI Output, And Provide Feedback on the Session. All participants Elected to Continue to Continue to Participate in OUR FOCUS GROPES GROST Curious and awed by whats the tools produced.
“Finally, I would strongly encourage users to seek guidance from their organization’s policy and procedus specific to the use and integration of ai into their workpace,” She contentked. “Be open to the passibility of ai. These tools can and have increased production and efficiency, not just with this process improvement project, but in my alwaysDay work. Involved in this project has integrated the use of ai tools into their work at some leg. “
By using a strategic and patient-focused approach, Organizations now have the ability to leverage ai responsibly, effectively and ethically to Achieve Operational Efficiency and IMPROVVE Experience – and this applies to projects bot big and small, she concluded.
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