At the 19th Annual Ambulatory Surgery Centers Conference on Oct. 25, Lorri Downs, vice president of clinical services, infection prevention and patient safety at Medline, discussed how surgery centers can make the business case for infection prevention to key stakeholders.
It's difficult to visualize 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections a year. So how can we better see the people behind the numbers, Ms. Down asked. This figure essentially translates to filling 17 Dallas Cowboys stadiums. Additionally, there are 99,000 deaths from healthcare-associated infections a year. We can change these negative outcomes by improving our clinical processes and sharing stories, which will inspire change, Ms. Downs said.
So, what works? How do surgery centers build these business cases for safety?
1. Share stories and concrete strategies to improve quality and safety.
2. Change the way you report the information you discover so it is digestible.
3. Effectively demonstrate your return on investment.
4. Include key data points, such as the cost of an infection and cost avoidance by targeting infections.
5. Develop a roadmap with strategies to achieve positive clinical outcomes.
6. Share this business case with your staff and encourage input from them.
"The outcome? You're inspiring change and it's possible," Ms. Downs said.
It's difficult to visualize 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections a year. So how can we better see the people behind the numbers, Ms. Down asked. This figure essentially translates to filling 17 Dallas Cowboys stadiums. Additionally, there are 99,000 deaths from healthcare-associated infections a year. We can change these negative outcomes by improving our clinical processes and sharing stories, which will inspire change, Ms. Downs said.
So, what works? How do surgery centers build these business cases for safety?
1. Share stories and concrete strategies to improve quality and safety.
2. Change the way you report the information you discover so it is digestible.
3. Effectively demonstrate your return on investment.
4. Include key data points, such as the cost of an infection and cost avoidance by targeting infections.
5. Develop a roadmap with strategies to achieve positive clinical outcomes.
6. Share this business case with your staff and encourage input from them.
"The outcome? You're inspiring change and it's possible," Ms. Downs said.
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