Timely Discharges and Reducing Readmissions

Good Samaritan Regional Health Center's medical unit required four hours, 18 minutes to discharge an inpatient once the discharge order had been written. A CQI+ team was sanctioned to reduce that time. The team used Lean/Six Sigma process improvement strategies to decrease both the hospital's inpatient readmission rate and its inpatient discharge order-to-door time.

Discharge order-to-door time has been reduced in half and the improvement has been replicated hospital wide. The unit has also realized readmission rate reductions. The March 2011 readmission rate of 17.68 percent for AMI/CHF/pneumonia/COPD was reduced to 9.33 percent by April 2012. The hospital's readmission rate for AMI/CHF/pneumonia/COPD also has been reduced.

This case study is part of the Illinois Hospital Association's annual quality awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These hospitals 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.

Award recipients achieve measurable and meaningful progress in providing care that is:

• Safe
• Timely
• Effective
• Efficient
• Equitable
• Patient-centered

(The Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement.)