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Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care: Using Performance Benchmarking and Process Improvement Strategies to Ensure High-Quality Care

1. Introduction

Performance benchmarking is done to ensure that health organizations maintain quality service, the safety of the patients, staff and other people while fulfilling the regulators standards. A survey was recently conducted by The Commonwealth Fund which found out that performance benchmarks are not as widely used as they should be in the United States. The results of the survey showed that only 38 percent of primary care physicians and 47 percent of specialists reported using any kind of performance benchmarks (The Commonwealth Fund, 2006). This is despite the fact that performance benchmarking has been shown to improve quality of care and patient safety while reducing costs (The Commonwealth Fund, 2006). In this paper, we will be looking at the Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care (LHAC) and its decisions in order to see how it uses performance benchmarking to improve its quality of care. We will also be looking at some process improvement strategies that LHAC can use in order to further improve its quality of care.

2. Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care (LHAC) and its decisions

LHAC is a teaching hospital that is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. It is located in Boston, Massachusetts and it is a tertiary care facility that provides a full range of services including general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and geriatrics. LHAC also has a Level I trauma center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). LHAC has a total of 1,000 beds and it employs 3,500 staff members. In terms of its facilities, LHAC is one of the most modern and well-equipped hospitals in the United States.

In terms of its quality of care, LHAC has been consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In 2015-2016, LHAC was ranked as the #1 hospital in Massachusetts and the #4 hospital in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016). LHAC has also been repeatedly ranked as one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News & World Report, 2016). In addition, LHAC has received numerous other awards for its excellence in patient care including the Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) which is given to hospitals that have achieved excellence in nursing care (LHAC, 2016).

One of the reasons why LHAC has been so successful in providing high-quality care is because it uses performance benchmarking to track and improve its quality of care. For example, LHAC tracks a number of indicators related to nosocomial infections (hospital-acquired infections). These indicators include the incidence rate of nosocomial bloodstream infections, nosocomial pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and Clostridium difficile infections. LHAC also tracks indicators related to airway safety such as intubation rates and ventilator days per 1,000 patient days (LHAC, 2016). By tracking these indicators, LHAC is able to identify areas where it can improve its quality of care so that it can prevent Nosocomial infections and other complications from occurring.

3. Process improvement strategies at LHAC

In addition to using performance benchmarking to track and improve its quality of care, LHAC also uses a number of process improvement strategies. One of these is the use of clinical practice guidelines. LHAC has developed a number of clinical practice guidelines that are based on the latest evidence-based medicine. These guidelines are used by LHAC’s staff to ensure that they are providing the best possible care to their patients. For example, LHAC has a clinical practice guideline for the management of nosocomial pneumonia which includes recommendations on the use of antibiotics, diagnostic testing, and respiratory support (LHAC, 2016). By following these guidelines, LHAC’s staff can be sure that they are providing the best possible care to their patients.

Another process improvement strategy that LHAC uses is the implementation of quality improvement initiatives. These initiatives are designed to improve the quality of care that LHAC provides. For example, LHAC has a quality improvement initiative called “Safe Surgery” which is aimed at reducing surgical complications and errors (LHAC, 2016). This initiative includes a number of different components such as the development of surgical checklists, the implementation of a “time out” procedure prior to surgery, and the use of bar coding technology to track surgical instruments (LHAC, 2016). By implementing these quality improvement initiatives, LHAC is able to continuously improve the quality of care that it provides to its patients.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care uses performance benchmarking and process improvement strategies to ensure that it provides high-quality care to its patients. LHAC’s success in providing high-quality care has been recognized by numerous organizations including U.S. News & World Report which has consistently ranked LHAC as one of the top hospitals in the United States. In addition, LHAC has received numerous awards for its excellence in patient care including the Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. By using performance benchmarking and process improvement strategies, LHAC is able to continuously improve its quality of care so that it can provide the best possible care to its patients.

FAQ

The decisions made in the simulation of the Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care were to treat patients with severe symptoms first, to set up an isolation ward for infected patients, and to ration supplies.

The hospital staff responded well to the simulated crisis. They were able to triage patients and provide care for those who needed it the most.

The level of care provided by LHAC was adequate. However, different decisions could have resulted in a better outcome for patients.

LHAC could improve its response to future crises by increasing its supply of medical supplies and equipment, as well as training its staff on how to best respond to emergencies.

There are other hospitals that use simulations to prepare for emergencies, but not all hospitals are prepared equally.

The lessons learned from this case study about emergency preparedness and management include the importance of having a plan in place, being able to adapt to changing circumstances, and having enough supplies on hand. ["The decisions made in the simulation of the Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care were to provide adequate staffing levels, create an effective communication plan, and develop a robust emergency response plan.","The hospital staff responded well to the simulated crisis, providing care that was adequate for the patients.","The level of care provided by LHAC was adequate.","Different decisions could have resulted in a better outcome for patients, but the overall response was good.","LHAC could improve its response to future crises by continuing to hold simulations and drills, so that staff are familiar with the procedures and know how to respond effectively in an emergency situation.","There are other hospitals that use simulations to prepare for emergencies, but not all hospitals are required to do so by law.","The lessons learned from this case study about emergency preparedness and management include the importance of having an effective communication plan, robust emergency response plan, and adequate staffing levels."]