CODECA
6
AnInnovativeClinicalEfficiency
ModeltoImprovePatient
TransferforCardiac
Catheterizations
thus, limiting our
ability to have the
patient successfully arrive
within the 3 hour timeframe.
P
rolonged wait times for cardiac catheterization patients can
lead to the following: increased amounts of heart damage if a
patient has a coronary blockage, patient anxiety from waiting,
and vascular complications if the sheath is left. Historically,
transferring patients who needed a same-day cardiac
catheterization to our flagship PCI was a major issue. There were
bottlenecks in our process from establishing bed assignments to
obtaining transportation for patients who needed cardiac
catheterizations. The “Code Cath” process was implemented to
improve the transfer process of patients to the PCI center who
were clinically diagnosed as needing a coronary catheterization.
Overview of the Code Cath Process
The goal for the Code Cath program is to improve the
acceptance, transfer and Cath lab times, specifically stick times
for patients that needed to be transferred to a PCI facility for
same-day catheterization. The objectives for the program
included: creating an efficient and prompt acceptance process;
developing an enhanced transfer process through the support of
in-house transport team; and enhancing communication among
physicians, other providers, and Cath lab staff so that we can
respond rapidly and effectively to a patient that needs same-day
catheterization. A primary metric and two secondary metrics were
identified to measure the success of the process.
• Primary Metric: Time from Request to Patient Arrival–The goal
is three hours. Historicall 䰁