Clinical Measures:
Delivering Recommended Care for Patients With Pneumonia
What are we measuring and why?
To measure how consistently we follow the standards of care created by the Joint Commission* for patients who have pneumonia, we track our success in performing each of its recommended practices. These best practices say we should:
- Determine oxygen levels in the patient’s blood upon arrival at the hospital
- Vaccinate to prevent complications of pneumonia
- Give an antibiotic within six hours of the patient’s arrival in the Emergency Department
- Conduct blood culture tests in severe cases
- Follow steps to choose the right antibiotics
- Offer smoking cessation counseling to those who smoke
- Give the flu vaccine
How are we doing and how do we compare to best practice?
Each of these measures is important for the optimal treatment of pneumonia patients. At Partners HealthCare, our rates of adherence to the Commission’s standards range from from 92% to 99% of the time, on par with the Massachusetts state 50th percentile of 96%**. Partners HealthCare has made improving our adherence to these pneumonia care guidelines a priority. Hospitals are sharing their experiences and refining their approaches to improve adherence to these standards and we expect to see improvements as we report on future performance.
What are we doing to improve?
Improvement team members from all Partners HealthCare hospitals meet to discuss how to overcome barriers, share best practices, and study the latest research. Emergency rooms have streamlined the screening of suspected pneumonia patients and have sped up x-rays and antibiotics. We put new processes in place to make it easier for staff to remember to vaccinate appropriate patients, a process that traditionally has been done in the outpatient setting.
* The Joint Commission is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to healthcare quality in hospitals. It has created National Hospital Quality Measures in many areas. These are practices proven to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.
** The Joint Commission, average score for hospitals in Massachusetts.
Charts for Delivering Recommended Care for Patients With Pneumonia
- Current Scores
- Scores Over Time
- Current Scores
- Scores Over Time
Percent of Pneumonia Patients Receiving Recommended Care
Partners HealthCare Data Period: April - June 2011
Partners HealthCare Source: Partners HealthCare High Performance Medicine
Reference Point Source: The Joint Commission State 50th Percentile
Percent of Pneumonia Patients Receiving Recommended Care
Partners HealthCare Source: Partners HealthCare High Performance Medicine
Reference Point Source: The Joint Commission State 50th Percentile
Percent of Pneumonia Patients Receiving Recommended Care
Partners HealthCare Data Period: April - June 2011
Partners HealthCare Source: Partners HealthCare High Performance Medicine
Reference Point Source: The Joint Commission State 50th Percentile
Percent of Pneumonia Patients Receiving Recommended Care
Partners HealthCare Source: Partners HealthCare High Performance Medicine
Reference Point Source: The Joint Commission State 50th Percentile