Minnesota Hospitals Report Improvements in Patient Safety

Minnesota hospitals participating in the federal Partnership for Patients Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) made significant strides in patient safety, according to the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) in its annual patient safety report. Participating hospitals recorded the prevention of more than 6,200 readmissions; 682 fewer patients developed a pressure ulcer; 512 fewer patients experienced a fall; and 300 early elective deliveries were avoided. The MHA HEN is one of 26 HENs across the U.S. working to reduce 10 hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent and readmissions by 20 percent.

The MHA HEN has helped hospitals prevent adverse events by promoting the implementation of evidence-based strategies through the Call to Action framework to reduce health care-acquired conditions, according to the group. This approach provides the clinical best practices and the infrastructure necessary to help hospitals achieve quality measurement goals and embed sustainable best practices.

The 113 participating hospitals in the MHA HEN are focused on the top 10 hospital-acquired conditions: adverse drug events; health care-associated infections (catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections and ventilator-associated events); injuries from falls; obstetrical adverse events including elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestation; pressure ulcers; preventable readmissions; and venous thromboembolism. Key accomplishments include:

• An 83 percent reduction in pressure ulcers since 2010;
• Elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestation have declined by almost 90 percent and nearly all hospitals have implemented a hard stop policy restricting inductions before 39 weeks;
• 6,211 fewer readmissions since 2009;
• 512 falls have been prevented, a decline of 27 percent;
• 23 percent reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections;
• 28 percent decrease in central line-associated blood stream infections;
• 12 percent reduction in surgical site infections related to abdominal hysterectomy and 6.5 percent reduction in surgical site infections related to colon surgery; and
• 43 percent reduction in adverse drug events.