Sinai-Grace Hospital Gets Hospital Discharges Right

Sinai-Grace Hospital TCAB Team focused on the patient discharge process to improve HCAHPS scores and lower the cost associated with items patient leave at the hospital. Often hospitals must spend a great deal of time searching for belongings patients leave behind and sometimes are responsible for replacing items such as dentures and glasses. The TCAB team took a unique approach in tailoring a popular and well-vetted innovation, the “four-eyed assessment,” and applying it to discharge. For each discharge, two staff members—thus four eyes—visit the patient to ensure certain actions have been taken, using the four-eyed discharge assessment form. This assessment involves ensuring that the IV is removed, valuables have been returned to the patient, patient education materials have been given, and clear instructions have been conveyed to the patient. So far no patients have left belongings at the hospital and patients appreciate the call backs. As a result, HCAHPS scores have increased by approximately 25 points. Staff have embraced the innovation and requested the form be included in the chart established with every admission. The concept has spread to the cardiac telemetry unit, resulting in their discharge HCAHPS scores reaching 90 percent.