Abstract
As part of ongoing research to investigate the impact of patient characteristics, organization characteristics and patient unit characteristics on safety and quality outcomes, we used a computational modeling program, OrgAhead, to model patient care units' achievement of patient safety (medication errors and falls) and quality outcomes. We tuned OrgAhead using data we collected from 32 units in 12 hospitals in Arizona. Validation studies demonstrated acceptable levels of correspondence between actual and virtual patient units. In this paper, we report how we used OrgAhead to develop testable hypotheses about the kinds of innovations that nurse managers might realistically implement on their patient care units to improve quality and safety outcomes. Our focus was on unit-level innovations that are likely to be easier for managers to implement. For all but the highest performing unit (for which we encountered a ceiling effect), we were able to generate practical strategies that improved performance of the virtual units that could be implemented by actual units to improve safety and quality outcomes. Nurse managers have responded enthusiastically to the additional decision support for quality improvement.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 605-613 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | International Journal of Medical Informatics |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue number | 7-8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Computational modeling
- Errors
- Nursing
- Nursing informatics
- Quality
- Safety
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Using OrgAhead, a computational modeling program, to improve patient care unit safety and quality outcomes. / Effken, Judith A.; Brewer, Barbara B.; Patil, Anita; Lamb, Gerri; Verran, Joyce A.; Carley, Kathleen.
In: International Journal of Medical Informatics, Vol. 74, No. 7-8, 08.2005, p. 605-613.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Using OrgAhead, a computational modeling program, to improve patient care unit safety and quality outcomes
AU - Effken, Judith A.
AU - Brewer, Barbara B.
AU - Patil, Anita
AU - Lamb, Gerri
AU - Verran, Joyce A.
AU - Carley, Kathleen
PY - 2005/8
Y1 - 2005/8
N2 - As part of ongoing research to investigate the impact of patient characteristics, organization characteristics and patient unit characteristics on safety and quality outcomes, we used a computational modeling program, OrgAhead, to model patient care units' achievement of patient safety (medication errors and falls) and quality outcomes. We tuned OrgAhead using data we collected from 32 units in 12 hospitals in Arizona. Validation studies demonstrated acceptable levels of correspondence between actual and virtual patient units. In this paper, we report how we used OrgAhead to develop testable hypotheses about the kinds of innovations that nurse managers might realistically implement on their patient care units to improve quality and safety outcomes. Our focus was on unit-level innovations that are likely to be easier for managers to implement. For all but the highest performing unit (for which we encountered a ceiling effect), we were able to generate practical strategies that improved performance of the virtual units that could be implemented by actual units to improve safety and quality outcomes. Nurse managers have responded enthusiastically to the additional decision support for quality improvement.
AB - As part of ongoing research to investigate the impact of patient characteristics, organization characteristics and patient unit characteristics on safety and quality outcomes, we used a computational modeling program, OrgAhead, to model patient care units' achievement of patient safety (medication errors and falls) and quality outcomes. We tuned OrgAhead using data we collected from 32 units in 12 hospitals in Arizona. Validation studies demonstrated acceptable levels of correspondence between actual and virtual patient units. In this paper, we report how we used OrgAhead to develop testable hypotheses about the kinds of innovations that nurse managers might realistically implement on their patient care units to improve quality and safety outcomes. Our focus was on unit-level innovations that are likely to be easier for managers to implement. For all but the highest performing unit (for which we encountered a ceiling effect), we were able to generate practical strategies that improved performance of the virtual units that could be implemented by actual units to improve safety and quality outcomes. Nurse managers have responded enthusiastically to the additional decision support for quality improvement.
KW - Computational modeling
KW - Errors
KW - Nursing
KW - Nursing informatics
KW - Quality
KW - Safety
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=22544480803&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.02.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 16043085
AN - SCOPUS:22544480803
VL - 74
SP - 605
EP - 613
JO - International Journal of Medical Informatics
JF - International Journal of Medical Informatics
SN - 1386-5056
IS - 7-8
ER -