Lessons from the field: The essential elements for point-of-care transformation

Background: The challenges facing healthcare in the 21st century frequently seem intractable and insurmountable. Systemic problems impair the quality and continuity of care and caregivers quality of life. For over 25 years, the Clinical Practice Model Resource Center (CPMRC) in Grand Rapids, MI, has focused on transforming healthcare at the point of care to achieve its mission to co-create and sustain the best places to work and to receive care. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: The extent of the vision to transform practice at the point of care calls for a shift from the common quick fix change mindset to a Professional Practice Framework mindset that guides the actions steps to achieve greater clinical integration and standardize, sustainable transformation in a complex healthcare system. Methods: An overview of the Clinical Practice Model (CPM) Frameworks conceptual underpinnings and the importance of the use of a Framework to guide transformation work across an International Consortium of hospitals are summarized. The lessons learned come from shared learning within a growing volunteer interdisciplinary, international consortium of over 276 rural, community, and university clinical settings. RESULTS: The Consortiums collective work has resulted in clinical, financial, and operational outcomes related to healthy work cultures, evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary, integrated documentation, and partnership councils. The cycle of organizational transformation ensures support for the professional processes, scope of practice, service across lifeline and continuum, integration and interoperability, evidence-based tools, interdisciplinary practice, and research-based and updated information. Conclusions: The power of organizational change flowing from a Framework is evident in replicable interventions and sustainable outcomes.