As health care systems begin to engage patients as partners rather than simply recipients of care, new paradigms are being created. At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Shadyside campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, part of that new paradigm is a program called Condition H (for Help) in which family members can call for immediate help if they feel the patient is not receiving adequate medical attention.
Modeled on the Rapid Response Team, a group of clinicians available to rush to a patient’s bedside whenever a clinician feels the patient’s condition is deteriorating, Condition H gives patients and families access to a similar team that will come to the patient’s room and assess the situation. “When families are unsure of how care is being given, managed or planned, or if something just doesn’t seem right and they feel they aren’t getting anyone’s attention, they can call a Condition H,” says Beth Kuzminsky, RN, MSN, Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation.
Since July 2005 when Condition H was implemented, UPMC Shadyside has received 45 Condition H calls. “Usually the root cause is confusion about the care plan or breaks in communication,” says Kuzminsky. Each call is carefully reviewed and so far Kuzminsky says that the majority of calls have been appropriate. UPMC is planning to spread Condition H throughout its health care system.
Read more:
Delivering Great Care: Engaging Patients and Families as Partners
02/01/2007
