Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Decreasing Orthopedic Elective Length of Stay Using Six Sigma

The average length of stay for patients undergoing single elective total joint replacement surgery at Plainview Hospital was excessive at 5.50 days. Patients were inconsistently attending the total joint replacement preoperative class. Inefficiencies in team communication led to increased LOS and decreased quality of patient care. This initiative's goals were to increase patients'  participation in their care, enhance patient education, provide the highest quality of care, and improve LOS for orthopedics, while focusing on the hospital's strategic goals.