IHI campaign concludes, IOM study released

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced yesterday that US hospitals taking part in their 18-month effort to prevent 100,000 deaths have exceeded that goal. Hospitals enrolled in the “Save 100,000 Lives Campaign” have collectively, according to IHI, prevented an estimated 122,300 avoidable deaths. Additionally, those hospitals have begun to institutionalize new standards of care and systems that will continue to save lives and improve health outcomes into the future, according to IHI.

Initiated by IHI in December 2004, the campaign enrolled more than 3,000 hospitals—representing an estimated 75% of US hospital beds. Approximately 55 Arizona hospitals participated in the campaign. The participating hospitals pledged to implement up to six evidence-based and life-saving interventions. Donald Berwick, MD, president and CEO of IHI, announced the results yesterday at IHI’s Second Annual International Summit on Redesigning Hospital Care.

“When we decided to launch the campaign, we didn’t know if hospitals could take on another challenge," said Dr. Berwick. “But the campaign has exceeded our highest expectations. The participating hospitals have not only prevented an estimated 122,300 unnecessary deaths, but they've also proven that it’s possible for the health care community to come together voluntarily to rapidly make significant changes in patient care.” To read more about the campaign and planned next steps, go to http://www.ihi.org.

Also yesterday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released “The Future of Emergency Care in the US Health System,” comprising three reports on hospital-based emergency care, pre-hospital care and pediatric emergency care as well as an integrated overview of the US emergency care system.

The news, as you might expect, is not good. However the reports validate what we and others in health care have been talking about for some time: “Emergency departments across the country are overcrowded. Ambulances are turned away, and patients, once they are admitted may wait in hallways for hours or even days before inpatient beds open up for them. Often the specialists that patients need to see are not available.”

The nearly three-year project, overseen by a 26-person IOM committee, describes a “desired vision” for the US emergency care system and recommends strategies to achieve it. If you wish to listen to the press briefing, a recording is available at press briefing. For copies of all three reports, go to: copies of IOM reports. To read an Associated Press article about the study, click here: media article. We encourage you to download and read the 8-page summary, by clicking here: 8-page summary.

Also, visit www.willcarebethere.org and click on the text "Yet Another Report Validates Crisis in Care" for a full listing of everything associated with the IOM reports, including ArMA’s media statement and our “My Turn” column that has been submitted to The Arizona Republic and other newspapers in the state.