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Masspro is committed to reducing healthcare acquired conditions, with a goal of collaborating with nursing homes state-wide to reduce pressure ulcers and use of unnecessary restraints in participating agencies by 40% by the end of January 2013.
By adopting a collaborative and educational approach, Masspro will accomplish these goals through technical assistance to providers, state-wide Learning and Action Networks (LANs), and the development and dissemination of tools and resources necessary for long term sustainability of accomplished improvements.
Specifically, Masspro Performance Improvement Advisors provide the following services:
Conduct consultative visits to assess current practices and strategies Promote use of multidisciplinary frontline teams to lead improvement work Provide tools, resources and technical assistance in implementing best practices related to pressure ulcer prevention and management Promote collaboration, sharing and problem solving among participating hospitals and nursing homes through conference calls, email discussions and participant meetings Assist facilities in performing a staff culture of safety survey and target improvements for identified safety culture gaps Encourage measures that address culturally appropriate care and healthcare disparities
Pressure Ulcers
Pressure Ulcers are a significant source of pain, suffering and financial burden for patients and providers across the healthcare continuum. They affect an estimated one million Americans, including as many as a quarter of all nursing home residents and one in ten hospital patients. The cost of pressure ulcers to the healthcare system is estimated to be 1.3 billion dollars annually. For affected individuals, pressure ulcers may be associated with an increased risk of serious infections, intrusive and time-consuming treatments, restrictions in daily activities and alteration in self-image. Complications related to pressure ulcers are responsible for nearly 60,000 hospital patient deaths each year and there is some evidence that the presence of pressure ulcers among residents of long-term care facilities is independently associated with increased mortality. Although pressure ulcers are preventable, their prevalence in health care is high.
By promoting knowledge-sharing, inculcation of best-practices, provision of technical assistance and facilitation of sustainable cultural and procedural change, Masspro will assist state-wide nursing homes to reduce the number of healthcare acquired pressure ulcers by 40% by the end of January 2013.
Physical Restraints
A physical restraint is "any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to the resident's body that the individual cannot remove easily that restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one's body”. It is the effect on the resident, rather than the name or intended use that determines whether or not it is classified as a restraint device.
As many as 200 deaths occur every year as a result of strangulation or suffocation from restraints and an estimated 47% of older patients fall and sustain injuries while in physical restraints. Restraints have many negative side effects and risks that far outweigh benefits from their use. Benefits of refraining from the use of restraints include improvement in quality of life, greater autonomy, reduction in use of anti-psychotic medications, less skin breakdown and a reduction in serious injuries due to falls.
Masspro is committed to reducing unnecessary physical restraint use in nursing homes and ensuring residents are free of physical restraints unless permitted by regulation, with a specific goal of increasing patient safety and reducing use of unnecessary physical restraints by 40% in participating nursing homes.
Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
"Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes is a national campaign to encourage, assist and empower nursing homes to improve the quality of care and life for residents.
Comprised of long term care providers, medical professionals, consumers, employees, and state and federal agencies, AE is the largest and first coalition of its kind to measure quality by setting clinical and organizational goals for nursing homes.
The coalition stimulates quality improvements by providing nursing homes with free, current and practical evidence-based resources, empowering residents and their families with education, and helping participants reach their targets. Homes can compare their progress with state and national averages."
The three year old quality campaign has recently launched new and revised goals as well as an improved website. Nursing homes that have been with the campaign since the beginning will need to re-enroll by updating their facility profile and choosing new goals and/or updating targets. Nursing facilities not previously enrolled are encouraged to join the campaign to help advance your quality improvement activities.
For more information on the campaign click on the link below to go to the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes website.
http://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/
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