Developing an Innovation Unit and Evaluating Outcomes

Purpose:

The Innovation Unit was created to increase the patient, employee, and physician satisfaction as well as boost the moral of the healthcare providers. This unit is focused on examining and implementing methods to increase patient care outcomes while maintaining safe cost effective services.

Significance:

Our patients deserve safe, high quality, cost effective care. Patients are consumers who are very concientious about their health care dollars. The staff and physicians pride themselves on providing all patients with an experience that exceeds their expectations, which inturn decreases turnover.

Strategy and Implementation:

In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, the unit was created by the Nurse Manger,Director of Medical-Surgical units as well as two Hospitalists.The Innovation Unit is a specialized interdisciplinary unit used to trial,evaluate,and develop best practices in technology, nursing,interdisciplinary care,and medicine.A best practice can be a new piece of technology trialed by patients and nurses,a new program, teaching tool,or medical technique.The staff on this unit is specially chosen to be innovators and must be willing to try new things and tolerate fast-paced change. The proposal is presented to the team, and is evaluated for implementation. Examples of the innovations trialed by the unit include activity carts,blanket warmer,digital screens for patient education,a unit-based pharmacist,illuminated handrails, access to computerized medical records for the patients and their care givers,and unique strategies that have proven to increase HCAHPS scores.

Evaluation:

Ideas are given a period of time for process and evaluation to ensure sustainability and transferability.Many of the ideas have been transfered to other units in the hospital and throughout the system.Satisfaction scores have shown an increase from the inception of the unit.

Implications for Practice:

Staff have been encouraged to make suggestions, and implement new ideas to aid in the advancement of patient care. The staff is accountable for research and evidence based ideas that they bring forward to implement. Overall incerease in satisfaction and engagement has decreased turnover and cost.