Client Overview
This Northern VA Medical Center is a respected healthcare facility dedicated to providing exceptional care to veterans. The facility prides itself on ensuring the safety and well-being of its patients while consistently seeking innovative solutions to enhance outcomes.
The Challenge
One of the most impactful and easily adopted safety practices in healthcare is hand hygiene. However, creating a culture of consistent handwashing among patients and care teams was a challenge. The VA Medical Center saw an opportunity to improve hand hygiene compliance for both groups through education and empowerment. Their goal? To help prevent Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs), particularly Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), a leading cause of HAIs in healthcare facilities.
The Solution
To address this challenge, the Northern VA Medical Center partnered with Get Well, an industry leader in patient engagement solutions. Together, they launched an educational initiative aimed at improving hand hygiene compliance across the board.
This initiative empowered veterans to actively participate in their own safety by reminding them of the importance of washing their hands regularly. It also emphasized that patients should feel comfortable speaking up and reminding healthcare providers to sanitize their hands before delivering care. Using Get Well’s tools and resources, the initiative encouraged collaboration between care teams and patients to make hand hygiene a shared responsibility in the facility.
The Outcome
By fostering active patient engagement and emphasizing hand hygiene education for both care teams and patients, the Northern VA Medical Center achieved outstanding results.
- 44% Reduction in HAIs: The concerted efforts to improve handwashing compliance led to a significant decrease in Hospital Acquired Infections, particularly C. diff cases.
This remarkable outcome highlights the power of collaboration and underscores how empowering patients and fostering accountability across teams can lead to safer healthcare environments.
Key Takeaways
- Educational Interventions Are Key: Educating patients and care teams about the importance of handwashing can bridge gaps in compliance and foster a stronger culture of safety.
- Empowering Patients Improves Outcomes: Giving patients the knowledge and confidence to actively participate in their care creates a partnership that benefits everyone involved.
- Measurable Results Through Engagement: The Northern VA Medical Center’s collaboration with Get Well demonstrates how patient engagement can deliver measurable improvements in infection prevention.
Innovating Patient Safety
The Northern VA Medical Center’s success serves as a model for other facilities looking to reduce HAIs and improve safety practices. By leveraging Get Well’s innovative solutions and prioritizing patient engagement, the VAMC has enhanced outcomes while empowering those it serves.
Looking to incorporate patient engagement and education into your safety practices? Connect with us at Get Well to see how our solutions can transform your facility and improve patient outcomes.
