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Successful facilitation of the Save 5 Million Lives Campaign at VA VISNs (Regions): CHF QUERI.

Heidenreich PA, Sahay A. Successful facilitation of the Save 5 Million Lives Campaign at VA VISNs (Regions): CHF QUERI. Poster session presented at: AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting; 2012 Jun 23; Orlando, FL.




Abstract:

Objective: Reducing readmission rates for heart failure (HF) patients has been a high priority nationally, for the VA and its' Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) QUERI. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) Save 5 Million Lives Campaign was a national voluntary quality improvement (QI) initiative to protect patients from five million incidents of medical harm, and was the forerunner of the ongoing Hospital-To-Home (H2H) QI initiative. In August 2009 the VA organized a 3-day "Save 5 Million Lives Conference - Success and Strategies". Contacts from each VISN were asked to identify three goals with action plan and anticipated outcomes. In October 2009 we invited all contacts to join our VA HF Provider Network and provided several resources. Method: In October 2010 we sent a one-year follow up survey to all VISN contacts to assess how VISNs rated own progress in achieving their CHF goals, helpfulness of resources provided by the CHF QUERI, helpfulness of the HF Network's various activities, and a description of activities undertaken by the VISNs. Based on attrition the survey was sent to contacts at 20 out of 21 VISNs. Results: With a response rate of 50% (10 VISNs) all VISNs reported moderate to excellent progress in achieving their goals to improve CHF. 70% (7 VISNs) reported that the resources provided by the CHF QUERI were quite helpful. 50% (5 VISNs) reported their involvement in CHF QUERI's HF Network and it's facilitation in non-mandated QI initiatives was quite to extremely helpful. Since August 2009 all 10 VISNs undertook 42 activities to achieve their CHF goals focusing on early follow up after discharge, setting up HF clinic, medication management, care-coordination, case management, and patient and provider education. Conclusions: CHF QUERI's involvement and facilitation of the Save 5 Million Lives campaign within the VA significantly contributed in helping the VISNs reduce their HF readmission rates. Impact: Facilitation of non-mandated QI efforts is critical to improve the quality of care for HF patients.





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