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BALTIMORE, MD—September 16, 2014—Med-IQ is pleased to announce the publication of data from a comprehensive quality improvement (QI) initiative for the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the emergency setting.
The initiative, jointly sponsored by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Med-IQ, in collaboration with EMCREG-International, was conducted at three hospital sites across the United States and spanned 26 months from pre- to post-intervention data review.
Effective coordination and communication between emergency medicine physicians and cardiologists is vital to the implementation of high-quality, timely, guideline-based care to patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with ACS. The goal of the QI initiative was to provide healthcare professionals at each participating institution with practical tools and resources to enhance communication, teamwork, and patient-centered care in ACS.
Critical Pathways in Cardiology published the outcomes of this initiative in its March 2014 issue. This published manuscript represents Med-IQ's 23rd such publication in the areas of performance and quality improvement.
Lessons in Flying: Crew Resource Management as a Quality Improvement Method for Acute Coronary Syndromes Care
Authors:
Phillip D. Levy, MD, MPH
JaNeen N. Dancy, PharmD
Stephanie A. Stowell, MPhil
James W. Hoekstra, MD
Crystal L. Arthur, MD
Charles H. Wilson, MD
John M. Bednar, MD
Todd Dorman, MD, FCCM
Brian Hiestand, MD, MPH, FACEP
The Joint Commission has identified communication errors as a primary cause of most hospital-related adverse events. Circumstances innate to the ED environment such as high patient volume, the need to make accurate decisions quickly, the need to anticipate and efficiently address changes in patient status, and challenges related to the continuity of care can increase the chance that communication errors will occur. QI initiatives have been shown to improve hospitals’ adherence to evidence-based guidelines and recommendations, enhancing overall patient outcomes.
This QI initiative, open to multidisciplinary healthcare teams at each institution, combined clinical education with a curriculum based on Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles—a set of tools and techniques for communication, teamwork, and error avoidance used in the aviation industry with proven applicability in the healthcare setting.
More than 350 healthcare professionals attended across all three sites. Reviews of pre- and post-initiative participant surveys demonstrated improvements in knowledge and confidence in the delivery of appropriate and effective ACS care.
“Effective communication and teamwork are vital to ACS patient care. Our program created a bridge between certified medical education and performance improvement to better equip clinicians for the innate challenges of working in the ED,” said Phillip D. Levy, MD, MPH, Associate Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University. “Despite these efforts, a continued need for enhanced communication and cooperation was evident among all disciplines and should be a focus of future interventions.”
To learn more about the results of this initiative, access the article in the March 2014 issue of Critical Pathways in Cardiology.
Critical Pathways in Cardiology provides a single source for the diagnostic and therapeutic protocols in use at hospitals worldwide for patients with cardiac disorders. The Journal presents critical pathways for specific diagnoses—complete with evidence-based rationales—and also publishes studies of these protocols' effectiveness.
To speak with a Med-IQ representative about QI or PI CME initiatives, please contact Catherine Mullaney at 443 543 5101 or cbretz@med-iq.com.
This activity was approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, CBRN, and ACPE credit and was supported by independent medical education grants from the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals* Partnership and from Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., and Lilly USA, LLC*. (*Note: commercial supporter names have changed since the time of grant approval.)
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About Med-IQ
Med-IQ, America's most respected provider of continuing medical education (CME), inspires healthcare professionals through award-winning activities that deliver sophisticated outcomes-based educational designs with measurable results in professional competence and performance. Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the California Board of Registered Nursing (CBRN), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing medical education to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, respectively.
As a leader in the CME industry, Med-IQ has delivered 32 performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) initiatives that make use of systems-based training such as Crew Resource Management to improve team performance and patient outcomes. These initiatives have achieved improvements in healthcare provider performance, quality of care, and patient outcomes. Med-IQ's work in performance and quality education and training has been published 27 times in peer-reviewed journals, and the company has been recognized by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions for our excellence in CE research (William Campbell Felch Award 2013, 2011), educational collaborations (2013), outstanding CME outcomes assessment (2012), and exceptional leadership (Leadership Award 2013, President’s Award 2012). To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.
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