Measuring Clinical and Quality Productivity in Anesthesiology
Data capture, management and analyzation is more important now than ever before in anesthesiology. The introduction of value based reimbursement, increased scrutiny from compliance auditors and pressures to streamline clinical processes necessitate the measurement of clinical and quality productivity. As leaders in anesthesia management, CCI Anesthesia has developed an innovative way to measure these indicators that are used to inform positive changes that ultimately lead to improved outcomes.
Our Value Based Quality Program
Your anesthesia department should support your facility’s overall quality improvement efforts—not bring them down. Clients of CCI Anesthesia are able to rest assured that their anesthesia departments and associated service lines are operating in accordance with The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and DNV GL compliance standards as part of our Value Based Quality Program. Our Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Dr. Charles Trentham, also works with hospital administration to implement best-practice protocols in order to streamline operations, reduce errors, improve data collections processes and document customer satisfactions ratings.
How to Measure Clinical Productivity in Anesthesiology
Accurately measuring clinical productivity in anesthesiology requires an analysis of detailed clinical information such as drugs and agents utilized, order sets and equipment used. Clinical indicators and complication information should also be collected for every patient. Review outcomes by acuity determined by indicators such as the patient’s ASA classification or BMI. Compare this data to current national patient safety goals, facility accreditation standards and compliance initiatives. Competency reviews should be periodically completed by each anesthesia provider to ensure their skills are up-to-date and contributing to meeting productivity goals.
How to Assess Compliance in Anesthesiology
Choosing an anesthesia management company that handles provider credentialing independently is important. This ensures that all anesthesia providers are up-to-date on required certifications and are earning the continuing education credits needed to maintain licensure. Anesthesia providers should also undergo periodic accreditation preparedness exercises and participate in Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEAs). This is a common process analysis tool that identifies all possible failures in a process and studies the consequences of those failures.
How to Measure Efficiency in Anesthesiology
CCI Anesthesia leaders work closely with OR directors to help them achieve the highest operational efficiencies possible. We routinely review OR utilization reports and First Case On-Time Start rates to guide our efforts on adjustments that can be made to support efficiency. We also strive to implement Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols that can lead to shorter PACU times and reduced in-patient stays. There are numerous ways to measure efficiency in anesthesiology, but our goal is to view efficiency through the lens of patient safety and satisfaction, which are our top priorities.
Our Approach to Productivity Improvement
At CCI Anesthesia, the crux of our Value Based Quality Program is staff education. We strive to keep our anesthesia providers up-to-date on the latest editions of payor policies and guidelines as well as national patient safety goals. When every anesthesia provider understands exactly what is expected of them in terms of regulatory and clinical processes, productivity soars. From a clinical perspective, productivity may be improved by adjusting your staffing model or implementing protocols such as ERAS that can lead to less recovery time for patients. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach to productivity improvement, we customize our productivity improvement strategy for each facility, keeping your unique goals in focus.
For more information on how to measure clinical and quality productivity in anesthesiology, call our anesthesia experts at 800.494.3948 to learn more.