Multicare Health SYstem - Tacoma General Improves Patient Satisfaction by 7%

In 2009, national patient safety goals called for improvement in effective communication among caregivers and active involvement of patients in their own care. The TCAB team at Multicare Health System embraced this call to action by developing a bedside shift report. Through Plan/Do/Study/Act (PDSA) trials and support from hospital leaders, the team successfully developed a comprehensive bedside shift report that has been in place on the TCAB unit since January 2010 and spread to the entire hospital by September 2010. During the spread process, the TCAB unit staff served as consultants to other care units. There were challenges in the implementation of the bedside report, primarily due to staff resistance to the changes. Some individuals were especially concerned with HIPAA requirements and nervous about talking openly with patients about their medical and socioeconomic issues. Small tests of change in addition to the TCAB consultants serving as champions and a supportive leadership helped overcome these challenges. The improvements as a result of the bedside shift report are notable; patient satisfaction scores increased by 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010, and the number of falls decreased, as did the number of call lights during shift change. Additionally, nurses were able to identify clinical issues earlier, and patients and family members now participate in the change of shift report and have a better understanding of their treatment plan and progress. The team continues to receive much positive feedback resulting from improved caregiver communication and patient involvement.