News Release Contact: Richard Deutsch Embargoed for r Release: 12 AM July 28, 2005 Office: 202-261-7573 QIOs To Help Hospitals Train For Safer Surgery Assistance to Support National Effort to Reduce Surgical Complications Washington , D.C. – The national network of Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) will provide training to hospital teams taking part in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), a new national initiative backed by a partnership of major health care organizations. SCIP partners introduced the initiative today to more than a thousand senior hospital executives at a meeting of the American Hospital Association in San Diego , California . The national partnership includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Hospital Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Veterans Health Administration, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. A significant percentage of the more than 30 million surgeries performed in the United States each year results in preventable complications and increased patient mortality or morbidity. SCIP partners are committed to a 25 percent reduction of surgical complications nationally over the next five years by promoting care processes known to cut the risk of surgical site infections, perioperative cardiac events (those occurring near the time of surgery), blood clots, and ventilator-associated pneumonia – all of which can result from surgical procedures. How QIOs Will Help Working under contract to CMS, QIOs will provide educational support and information on preventing surgical complications to all hospitals that participate in the SCIP project. QIOs will also offer all hospitals assistance on collecting data and publicly reporting their performance in implementing clinical processes proven to make surgery safer. QIOs will provide direct, intensive training on implementing these processes to up to 20 percent of hospitals in each state. To increase the pace of implementation, QIOs will bring hospital teams together for collaborative learning sessions; offer hands-on assistance helping teams adopt safer practices, and provide guidance on overcoming barriers to change. There is no charge for QIO assistance, but to be eligible for intensive QIO assistance, participating hospitals must perform at least 300 major surgical procedures a year and agree to participate in all four SCIP prevention modules. QIOs will build on their experience working with hospital teams across the country over the past three years to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections, one of the key SCIP targets. In 2002, QIOs trained staff from over 50 hospitals across the country in an effort that resulted in an overall 27% improvement reducing surgical infections. Subsequently, QIOs conducted intensive collaborative learning sessions with teams of hospitals in 30 states that significantly lowered infection rates for many institutions. Over the past year, QIOs in Kentucky , Ohio and Oklahoma have conducted SCIP pilot projects to identify the most effective QIO interventions. What’s At Stake For Patients The SCIP project targets areas where the incidence and cost of complications is high. For example: Surgical Site Infections, which account for 14% to 16% of all hospital-acquired infections, can be prevented through appropriate selection of antibiotics, proper timing of antibiotics, and control of blood sugar and body temperature during surgery. Adverse cardiac events occur in as many as 34% of vascular surgery patients. Studies show that nearly half of fatal perioperative cardiac events can be prevented with appropriate therapy. Blood clots occur in a significant percentage of surgeries conducted without preventive methods, which are often underused or used inappropriately. Postoperative pneumonia is associated with a mortality rate of 30 to 46 percent. Many of the risk factors for postoperative pneumonia can be eliminated. “QIOs have extensive experience helping hospitals and physicians prevent these problems,” said David Schulke , executive vice president of the American Health Quality Association, which represents the national network of QIOs. “Since the 1990s, QIOs have worked collaboratively with thousands of hospitals to improve care for AMI , heart failure and pneumonia. During these efforts, QIOs have developed relationships and learned strategies for helping hospitals change how they provide care that will be invaluable for driving improvement in the SCIP initiative.” For More Information www.ahqa.org / www.medqic.org/scip The American Health Quality Association represents the national network of Quality Improvement Organizations that work with hospitals, medical practices, health plans, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and employers to encourage adoption of best practices and improve systems of care.