HealthLeaders Media publishes list of 20 people who make healthcare better
HealthLeaders Media publishes an annual list of 20 people who make healthcare better. This year’s list runs the gamut of healthcare executives, healthcare insurance staff, patients and consumers, and nurses and physicians who have gone above and beyond to improve healthcare. If you have time, check out the entire list.
I want to bring attention to one person on the list, Brian Jack, who was in charge of a research grant called Project RED, which stands for re-engineered discharge. We covered the project back in June 2009 in a Briefings on Patient Safety article. Jack and his team received a grant from the AHRQ to study where errors were occurring in the discharge process–not so much during discharge but after discharge, when 30% of patients are readmitted to the hospital. Project RED utilizes 11 interventions in a checklist at a patient’s discharge to make sure the patient understands his or her discharge instructions. Another key component is ensuring patients have a follow-up appointment booked within 24 hours. Hopefully this project, and others that emphasize the need to spend more time with patients during the crucial discharge process, will help reduce readmission rates.
About the Author: Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc., where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety, as well as patient safety-related books, webcasts, and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (www.accreditationprofessional.com) and manages Patient Safety Monitor (www.patientsafetymonitor.com), of which this blog is a part.
Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com
