AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Health System Expands Pharmacy and Nursing Staff Roles and Institutes Focus on Accountability, Improving Performance on Core Measures

Health System Expands Pharmacy and Nursing Staff Roles and Institutes Focus on Accountability, Improving Performance on Core Measures

Summary
To promote provider adherence to the care processes recommended in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' core measures, Norman Regional Health System shifts responsibility for certain tasks from physicians to pharmacists and nurses, some of whom are new hires dedicated to this task. This approach allows physicians to focus on other aspects of patient care without losing the ability to monitor adherence and take corrective action when appropriate. Related program elements support adherence, including ongoing performance monitoring and reporting, peer review of physicians, and financial incentives for hospital staff. The program has led to steady improvements in performance in all four clinical areas covered by the measures, with adherence rates reaching 96 percent or better for 17 of the 25 measures, above both national and Oklahoma averages.

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Health System Expands Pharmacy and Nursing Staff Roles and Institutes Focus on Accountability, Improving Performance on Core Measures