Researchers of a study published in Stroke evaluated stroke care for more than 200 patients over three years at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Researchers measured the average time between patients’ arrival and their treatment with the clot-busting agent tissue plasminogen activator; a shorter time increases the likelihood of reducing brain injury after stroke.
The hospital’s stroke team used Lean techniques to identify inefficient processes that lengthen patients’ time to treatment. The team eliminated non-value-added steps and designed protocols that streamlined stroke care. The new process included the following changes:
• Emergency medical services routed patients directly to the CT scanner for immediate brain imaging.
• More team members came onboard, each with fewer tasks to complete.
• Clinicians performed bedside tests, providing laboratory results within minutes.
As a result of these process changes, the time from arrival to treatment decreased 21 minutes. The overall treatment time decreased from 60 minutes to 39 minutes. In addition, 78 percent of stroke patients received tPA within one hour of arrival, exceeding the national average of roughly 30 percent of patients (as documented in the Get with the Guidelines national database), according to the release.
While the time to treatment improved, the new protocol did not alter patient safety or clinical outcomes, according to the release.
More Articles on Hospital Quality:
Toyota Principles Help Improve Outcomes, Cost Savings at ThedaCare
10 Guiding Principles for Patient-Centered Care
National Association for Healthcare Quality Offers 5 Recommended Practices for Quality
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
