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Mona Vale Hospital identified extensive waiting times for OT assessments and to address this issue, specific strategies were introduced to reduce the waiting times for OT appointments Consumers who are discharged from mental health inpatient units receive a follow up contact by the service within 7 days of discharge. The week following discharge is considered to be a high risk time for consumers, as such it is critical this follow- up is timely way. RNSH's discharge collective aimed to improve patient flow by increasing the proportion of early discharges (before midday) to enable improved accessibility to beds (especially for critical care areas). The project was also able to demonstrate reductions in length of stay. Response to the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the uptake of telehealth and virtual care services. The digital virtual infrastructure supports the use of telehealth services as a sustainable model of care to allow patients convenient access to the clinical care they require. In addition, the infrastructure has enabled families and carers to connect with patients at the bedside during periods of restrictions. How can you play a part in making sure patients receive timely and accessible care in your workplace? There are many examples of initiatives in NSLHD that have led to the prevention of patient harm incidents. Here are some examples. Can you think of more?
TIMELINESS AND ACCESSIBILITY In this edition, we will take a closer look at another of the six dimensions of healthcare quality .
Timely care is how quickly patients receive the care they need. Can you recognise any timeliness issues and areas for improvement where you work? For example, reducing waiting times for patients to be seen by a doctor in the Emergency Department, timely completion of X-rays, reducing the waiting time to be admitted to the ward from the Emergency Department, or to be discharged. Non-clinical examples may include meals not delivered to patients on time, or delays in having rooms or beds ready for new patients. Accessible care is when patients receive the health care or service they need when they need it. Does your area of work consider geographical, financial, medical or social issues that inhibit the patients from receiving the right care at the right time? Is care equally accessible to patients who are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD); bariatric patients or consumers in Mental Health; or corrective services facilities? At times there may be tensions between the dimensions of care. For example, while providing timely care is often a feature of system performance, pressures to meet these performance targets may lead to ‘work arounds’ or increases in risks e.g. wrongly diagnosing a patient, or re-admissions as a result of pressure to discharge patients early. Additionally, access to healthcare also needs to be efficient and cost-effective.
Want to learn more?
Foundations of Safety and Quality e-learning pathway on My Health Learning (course code 335318052) The Safety and Quality Essentials Pathway NSLHD Quality Improvement Intranet page.
Enrol in the next one-day virtual Improvement Science workshop on 13 May 2022 . Spaces are limited. Enrol via MHL (course code 42956746)
Contact: Cathy.Vinters@health.nsw.gov.au or Catherine.Rosario@health.nsw.gov.au (Clinical Reliability Improvement Facilitators, Clinical Governance)
Clinical Governance Standard
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