Using a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to introduce a new or service line

Don K Nakayama; Timothy N Bushey; Irene Hubbard; Dawn Cole; Amanda Brown; Timothy M Grant; Issam J Shaker

doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2010.01.018

Using a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to introduce a new or service line

AORN J. 2010 Sep;92(3):335-43. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2010.01.018.

Authors

Don K Nakayama¹, Timothy N Bushey, Irene Hubbard, Dawn Cole, Amanda Brown, Timothy M Grant, Issam J Shaker

Affiliation

¹ Department of Surgery at Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA.

PMID: 20816106
DOI: 10.1016/j.aorn.2010.01.018

Abstract

In 2008, a multidisciplinary team at the Medical Center of Georgia, Macon, began a one-year Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to implement a high-quality pediatric surgery service line. The PDSA team defined goals, objectives, and measurable performance metrics and then reviewed cases and aggregated data monthly to identify and improve clinical, process, instrument, and supply problems as well as patient transfer issues. The PDSA cycle led to improvements in team performance, communication, and patient transfer and decreased the number of problems associated with instruments, supplies, equipment, and surgeon tardiness.

MeSH terms

Data Collection
Georgia
Organizational Objectives
Patient Care Team
Planning Techniques*