COVER STORY
Furthermore, everyone needs to be aware of what the facility is doing to bring about improvements so they can feel engaged to make suggestions for improvement as well.” Physician engagement is essen- tial to achieving successful changes, Kirchner says. “Any pushback from physicians on worthwhile improve- ments you identify can not only hin- der your ability to move forward with those changes, but also ultimately ruin a project.” Schneeweiss-Keene’s ASC pres- ents the findings to its medical advisory committee, governing board and staff. “Once presented to the staff, we provide them with teaching and training, when necessary, to implement those changes we hope will bring about the desired improvement, then do not forget to fol- low up.” Never assume the changes you
not be a reason to choose a topic. Selecting a truly worthwhile topic is important to securing staff buy-in for a project.” As an example, Kirchner points to a project one of her company’s ASCs is undertaking. “This center does a lot of pain cases and has patients with a his- tory of excessive opioid use.” The ASC’s team has been doing extensive research and looking at different ways to teach and educate its patients on relieving pain without opioids. The team is work- ing closely with its pain doctors. “This is a project that has significant meaning to everyone involved and should deliver impactful results,” she says.
Putting the Data to Work To improve facility performance, which Mattson says must be one of the focuses of any QAPI project, an ASC should share each project’s find-
12 ASC FOCUS FEBRUARY 2020 |
ascfocus.org
ings with its staff and physicians. “Everyone should understand the rea- sons behind changes made as a result of the project, which are driven by the results of data collection and analysis.
LEARN MORE AT ASCA 2020 CONFERENCE & EXPO
ASCA’s annual conference features two sessions focused specifically on QAPI: “How to Build an Effective QAPI Program,” led by Jan Allison on Thursday, May 14, from 4:15–5:30 pm, and “How to Conduct a QAPI Study,” led by Crissy Benze, RN, on Friday, May 15, from 8:00–9:30 am. Learn more and review the complete schedule on the ASCA 2020 Conference & Expo website.
ascassociation.org/ annualconference/schedule
make will have their desired effects, Kirchner says. “Come back at least once monthly and review, as a team, the results of your improvement efforts. If necessary, implement new changes to your processes until you get to a point where everybody involved feels like you are accomplishing those goals you established when starting the project.”
Approach all QAPI projects with an appreciation for the critical role they play in improving the perfor- mance of your ASC, Mattson says. “With the ever-changing
dynam-
ics of healthcare today—tech-savvy patients who research physicians and facilities online; decreasing revenues yet increasing costs to run an effective facility; highly competitive markets from which to attract patients, phy- sicians and staff; and the shift to the performance of more complex pro- cedures—it is increasingly important that surgery centers strive to contin- ually enhance the patient, physician and staff experience.”
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