Philippi, WV –As a result of a successful partnership with the West Virginia Medical Institute (WVMI) Broaddus Hospital has improved an electronic medical record (EMR) form resulting in improved communication processes during medical transfers.
Broaddus began participation in the Emergency Department (ED) Transfer Communication pilot project in 2013. The purpose of the project is to monitor and improve provider communications during patient transfer. The ED Transfer Communication measures are part of the Phase 3 measures for the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), a program of the Health Resources and Services Administration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as the measure steward.
“Continuous quality improvement is a priority at Broaddus Hospital,” said Catherine Schola, RN, BSN, Director of Quality and Risk Management at Broaddus. “In this project we focused on improvements to communication among our medical team and other physicians and care providers during patient transfers. The modifications made to the EMR form support better patient care which is the desired outcome for improvement measures.”
“Before, during and after a transfer we are centered on communication about the patient. From communication of medications and medical allergies to diagnostic test results, our goal is to ensure an accurate continuum of care for the patient, always” said Schola.
As part of the project, Broaddus staff members worked with Patti Connelly, a Lead RN Project Coordinator with WVMI, to begin sharing data electronically instead of using a paper-based transfer process. Working collaboratively, the teams evaluated the necessary criteria and components needed in the EMR and made changes to update the transfer form and the process. Another key element was to ensure that the elements put in place would meet CMS requirements.
“We appreciate Ms. Connelly and WVMI for assisting us in the development of the new process,” said Schola. “We are seeing success in the initial spot-checking of the update and we’ll be taking our next set of designated samples soon. I believe we will be pleased with our results.”
