Defining Quality

Some of the goals and metrics that OhioHealth prioritizes include:

• Reducing the number of healthcare-associated infections – these include:
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)
  • Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
  • C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) infections
  • MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) infections
  • Surgical site infections
• Improving early detection and treatment of sepsis
• Increasing event and concern reporting

Efforts to eliminate preventable harm through improvements in infection prevention: CLABSI

• Standard processes to reduce central line blood stream infections (CLABSI) include:
  • Use of an insertion checklist
  • Assessing the need for the central line to prompt removal
  • Daily chlorhexidine bath (CHG)
  • CHG dressing at the insertion site

Efforts to eliminate preventable harm through improvements in infection prevention:  CAUTI

• Use of urinary catheters only if clinically indicated
• Regular assessment of need for catheter
  • Nurse-driven removal protocol
• Use of securement devices

One way we continuously monitor our patients' needs is through patient satisfaction surveys. The feedback we obtain through these surveys helps us learn what we are doing well and the areas we need to improve upon.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medical Services developed a set of questions, known as HCAHPS*, which hospitals across the nation can use to gauge how well they meeting their patients' needs.

OhioHealth voluntarily adds these questions to our existing patient satisfaction survey, and results from two of these measures are available to you on this website. Results from all measures are available on the Hospital Compare website.

*HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) was designed to give hospitals across the nation an opportunity to view their care from the patient's perspective.

Quality in the healthcare arena is objective and can be measured, both good and bad. So if a hospital tells you it has quality healthcare, there should be data to prove it.

When you're making a decision about healthcare, it's important to do your research. Some key steps to take include:

• Research quality data reports and indicators
• Find out how often the data is prepared
• Read HCAHPS patient satisfaction results

Below are nationally recognized quality programs that publish our clinical care performance metrics online.  You can use these tools to compare our quality performance to other hospitals across the country. 

• The Joint Commission – The Joint Commission is an independent non-profit organization that sets standards by which healthcare organizations in the United States demonstrate care quality. Their accreditation of a hospital or healthcare facility is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates that a hospital meets high performance standards. MedStar Health is accredited by The Joint Commission.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has defined a limited set of clinical care measures to monitor how well hospitals are performing. Each of these indicators are supported by a body of evidence and is recommended for most patients. However, please consult with your physician to discuss if specific treatment is appropriate for you. 
  
  CMS reports the national, state, and hospital-level results for these care measures. The most current information is available to the public on Care Compare, a federal government website managed by the CMS. Please note that the procedure-specific data represents care provided to inpatient Medicare beneficiaries only.

There you will find care measure categories, including those related to the following conditions:

• Heart Attack
• Heart Failure
• Pneumonia 
• Surgical Infection Prevention

You can visit the CMS website here:   Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare