Creative Integration of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care to Patients with Pneumonia

Purpose:
Medicare/Medicaid has introduced hospitals to evidence-based interventions instrumental in promoting the best outcomes for patients who have a diagnosis of Pneumonia. However, Palmetto Health Baptist has integrated these evidenced-based interventions to benefit all patients.

Significance:
In 1900, Pneumonia and Influenza was the number one killer in the United States. Over 100 years later, both are still number six. Pneumonia and Influenza kill over 60,000 people in the US each year and cause over 250,000 hospitalizations, plus millions of healthcare dollars.

Strategy and Implementation:
The key to success is to integrate the evidence based practice measures into current practice. Each Performance Measures is incorporated into the care for all patients. These methods are simple, fun, creative and have added to the recognition of staff. One Performance Measures is to provide a patient with a diagnosis of Pneumonia the appropriate antibiotic within six hours of arrival to the hospital. A creative way to recognize success is by awarding the “Gnome-onia Award” to staff that administer the antibiotic in the least time. Since this approach is implemented each time an antibiotic is ordered for ANY infection, all patients benefit from the performance measure. An important measure is to provide Pneumonia vaccines to all patients over 65 and an Influenza vaccine to all patients over 50. Palmetto Health Baptist has broadened that intervention by offering the Pneumonia and Influenza vaccine to all at-risk adult patients who are admitted regardless of diagnosis.

Evaluation:
In the last few years Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital has increased compliance from 64% to over 95% with the CMS Performance Measures and in the top 10% in the nation for reduced mortality rates for patients with Pneumonia.

Implications for Practice:
Integrating these measures to a variety of diagnoses promotes critical-thinking, outcome-based results, and appropriate allocation of resources. The ability of providers to produce positive outcomes will become the standard for reimbursement, meeting healthcare needs, and potential to improve care.