A users group approach to quality improvement across an integrated healthcare delivery system

J Healthc Qual. 2000 Jan-Feb;22(1):39-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1945-1474.2000.tb00310.x.

Abstract

Aurora Healthcare, an integrated healthcare delivery system, wanted to use interhospital collaboration to improve quality. An opportunity for improvement at five Aurora hospitals was identified: Only 71% of patients received timely preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. A Users Group approach was proposed to foster collaboration among the hospitals in a quality improvement (QI) effort. Although these hospitals differed in size, volume of cases, medical staffs, and antibiotic-delivery processes, they had common objectives and, many times, common barriers to the timely delivery of antibiotics. A Users Group approach to this QI initiative resulted in an 18% improvement in the number of patients who received timely administration of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (p < 0.001). This article describes the Users Group approach to QI at Aurora Healthcare in southeastern Wisconsin.

MeSH terms

  • Antibiotic Prophylaxis*
  • Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / organization & administration
  • Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / standards*
  • Efficiency, Organizational
  • Humans
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Patient Care Planning
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Surgical Wound Infection / prevention & control*
  • Total Quality Management / organization & administration*
  • Wisconsin