Coordinate Orders to Save Lives

Following through on orders for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important post-operative step to reduce complications and chances of death. The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) created by the Joint Commission established measures that include how many patients receive these orders and also how many receive antibiotics. The Baldwin Park Medical Center worked with pharmacists and other staff to increase compliance to the 96.2 percentile and eventually to the top percentile, ensuring that all patients were receiving VTE prophylaxis orders.

Here's What Worked

• Educating about the proper use of VTE orders for post-operative patients
• Coordinating with pharmacists and other teams to ensure orders are followed
• Outlining how the Joint Commission's SCIP guidelines can help improve compliance

 What can your team do to work with other teams to improve outcomes for patients?