Hospitals recognized nationally for patient safety and quality are focusing on making substantial improvements to ensure more consistent and reliable processes are in place to deliver high-quality healthcare to every patient, every time.
In an effort to institutionalize widespread quality, efficiency and effectiveness in care, healthcare organizations across the country are embarking on initiatives to:
- standardize the care experience
- implement quality and safety programs
- improve the use of resources
- build sustainable processes that produce lasting results
Creating lasting change
Many hospitals struggle to maintain focus on a key initiative long enough to create a culture that naturally embraces change and incorporates it into daily work habits. Organizational transformation begins with a philosophy that stimulates a radical reduction in errors and prompt responsiveness when defects occur.
Rounding on patients can be an effective means to increase staff accountability and quickly correct undesirable behaviors throughout the performance improvement process. It also provides an opportunity to reinforce behaviors leaders wish to see repeated.
Common strategic themes
There are many commonalities at the center of high-reliability organizations, including but not limited to:
- A no-blame culture
- Visible metrics and goals
- Hypersensitivity to error proofing
- Real-time feedback
- Hyperfocus on cross-functional complexity
- Clear process owners and accountability
When developing a rounding strategy aimed at driving performance improvement initiatives, it is important to choose the right tools to augment the process. A digital rounding solution like GetWell Rounds+ offers the user flexibility to design the right survey questions that enable the auditor to assess the process and determine if it was followed as designed. In addition, the tool allows for open-ended questions to document staff sentiment, as well as automated notifications to ensure errors are reported quickly and responded to in real time.