Why big goals?
Some organizations may be tempted to set smaller goals instead of committing to a seemingly impossible goal. However, unless these smaller goals are part of a plan to reach a visionary, bold goal, organizations will be limited in their improvements. Targeting an overarching area like patient safety and aiming for a drastic change like zero serious safety events can motivate people to take risks and improve their performance.
“This goal really resonates with folks within our organization,” says Dr. Sikka. “It speaks to why they’re in healthcare, why they’re involved in Advocate.” By developing a big goal, healthcare leaders can rally employees and physicians around a common cause and coordinate efforts to make significant changes.
Working toward big goals
To reach the goal of zero serious safety events by 2020, Advocate is adopting some principles from other industries. “We have a plan in place where we’re teaching our leaders the principles and techniques of high reliability from other industries, like aviation and nuclear power, bringing it to life within healthcare so we can eliminate all serious harm to our patients,” Dr. Sikka says. Having a specific plan to reach a big goal is crucial to making the goal a reality.
Decreasing variation
Advocate has several initiatives that are part of its plan to eliminate serious safety events. For example, Dr. Sikka is focusing on reducing variation in care to improve efficiency and safety. For example, he led a project on blood transfusion safety. Clinicians at Advocate jointly developed guidelines for processes around transfusion. These guidelines were then built into the electronic medical record and physician ordering systems. In 2012, Advocate decreased its use of red blood cells by more than 10,000 units. This reduction was estimated to save more than 100 lives, avoid more than 470 complications and generate nearly $6 million in cost savings, according to Dr. Sikka.
These initiatives and others are designed to help Advocate reach its bold goal of eliminating serious safety events.
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Top 10 Strategic Initiatives for Hospitals in 2013
A Strategic Approach to Preparing for Pay-for-Outcomes
Innovating for Impact: 4 Stages for Creating Value in Healthcare
