Using Multidisciplinary Rounds to Improve Patient Safety Through Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Awareness

摘要

Accountability measures are designed to improve patient safety and consistently ensure that standards of care are met. One unit at OMC was frequently failing the VTE accountability measures, which triggered the PI team's involvement. The team was able to improve VTE accountability measure compliance from 83% to 100% in one year by using multidisciplinary rounds as a safety tool; compliance has been sustained at 97% since. Structured coaching by the PI team on a regular basis to promote the importance of VTE accountability measures made an impact on patient safety through improved communication among the health care team, improved documentation of patient education, and increased use of prophylaxis. This team's success has led to the use of multidisciplinary rounds to address all accountability measures, as well as key patient safety priorities, throughout multiple units in this facility. The unit-based multidisciplinary rounds tool has evolved to list all the accountability measures and additional patient safety issues as a guide for focused discussion.