Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Decreasing VTE Rate and Length of Stay for Total Joint Patients Through an Interdisciplinary Orthopedic Co-Management Collaborative

The hospital’s venous thromboembolism (VTE) rate for total joint patients was 36.2 in 2011 and 37.70 in 2012. In January 2012, they created the interdisciplinary Orthopedic Co-Management Collaborative (OCMC) to improve quality outcomes and patient satisfaction. They set standards for pharmacologic and mechanical prophylaxis and instituted an early-mobility program. As a result, the hospital’s acquired VTE rate dropped to 7.95 in 2013 and 1.0 in 2014. In addition, length of stay for total joint patients decreased from 5.5 days (2011) to 1.9 days (2014) for total hips and from 3.7 days (2011) to 2 days (2014) for total knees.

This case study is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association's annual Quality Excellence Achievement Awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals and health systems in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These organizations are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction), improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care—and the Institute of Medicine’s six aims for improvement—safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. To learn more, visit https://www.ihaqualityawards.org/javascript-ui/IHAQualityAward/