Clinical Quality Program
The UCLA Neurosurgical Clinical Quality Program
Value-Based Neurosurgery 2015-2016 Clinical Outcomes Report
The UCLA Neurosurgery Department established the Clinical Quality Program in 2009 with the objective of enhancing the quality and lowering the cost of health care.
The Program involves a multi-disciplinary group including faculty, residents, nurses and staff, working together to ensure the highest standard of quality and safety, while promoting responsible utilization of resources. Currently, the Program is focusing on five areas of priority: readmissions, mortality, transitions of care, infection prevention and the Patient-Family Advisory Council. These projects are led by hospitalists from the Neurosurgery Co-management Service, as well as Neurosurgery faculty.
Since its implementation, the Clinical Quality Program has achieved significant improvement by establishing innovative solutions to the challenges in health care, transforming the culture of quality in the Department and leading the Medical Center in unprecedented improvement.
Since implementation, the Quality Program has illustrated significant improvement in the following areas:
Quality and Safety
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Reducing hospital-acquired infections
- Reducing unplanned readmissions to the hospital within 30 days of prior discharge
- Decreasing falls
- Increasing clinical bundle compliances
- Improving glycemic control
- Decreasing medication errors by recognizing high-risk medications
Patient Satisfaction
- Improving overall care
- Establishing the Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council
- Higher satisfaction scores for physician and nursing care
Throughput and Efficiency
- Increasing percentage of patients discharged by noon (in cases where discharge was after noon, decreasing the length of time that discharge occurred from noon)
- Improving documentation and coding of all diagnoses in the medical record
- Reduction of supply costs
- Evaluation of resource utilization (laboratory and imaging) with the objective of eliminating inappropriate daily and routine orders
- Implementing recycling and green initiatives through collaborative efforts with the Campus Sustainability and the Medical Center Recycling Programs
The Clinical Quality Program has continued to expand, with enthusiastic support and engagement of faculty members, residents, nurses and staff.
If you have any questions about our program, please contact our Director of Quality, Dr. Won Kim at [email protected].