The quality 'journey' at Ascension Health: how we've prevented at least 1,500 avoidable deaths a year--and aim to do even better

A decade ago the Institute of Medicine estimated that 44,000-98,000 preventable deaths occur each year in US hospitals. The leaders of Ascension Health-one of the nation's largest health care delivery networks, with sixty-nine hospitals in twenty states and the District of Columbia-dedicated th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth Affairs Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 604 - 611
Main Authors Pryor, David, Hendrich, Ann, Henkel, Robert J, Beckmann, James K, Tersigni, Anthony R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE 01.04.2011
Subjects
Affinity groups
Birth injuries
Deaths
Equipment acquisition planning
Executive compensation
Fiscal years
Health care
Health care delivery
Health care policy
Hospital Mortality - trends
Hospitals
Humans
Mortality
Multi-Institutional Systems - standards
Nosocomial infections
Nuclear energy
Organizational Case Studies
Patient safety
Pressure ulcers
Preventable deaths
Prevention
Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods
Quality Assurance, Health Care - organization & administration
Quality of care
Studies
Trauma
United States - epidemiology
United States
United States > US
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A decade ago the Institute of Medicine estimated that 44,000-98,000 preventable deaths occur each year in US hospitals. The leaders of Ascension Health-one of the nation's largest health care delivery networks, with sixty-nine hospitals in twenty states and the District of Columbia-dedicated themselves to preventing equivalent numbers of deaths in their system. In 2003 they set a goal of reducing preventable deaths by 900 each year by 2008. By fiscal year 2010 Ascension Health had reduced preventable deaths by more than 1,500 people annually and, by some calculations, by more than 5,000 people annually, compared to 2004. Ascension Health had also achieved important improvements in preventing birth trauma and reducing rates of pressure ulcers and hospital-acquired infections. The health care system could achieve even greater results by adopting the safety principles used in high-reliability entities such as the nuclear power industry. The adoption of such principles can lead to impressive improvements in health care quality.
ISSN:0278-2715
1544-5208
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2010.1276