Saskatchewan health region seeks improved patient and staffing satisfaction, patient outcomes from Accountable Care unit

The Saskatoon Health Region reports on the implementation of an Accountable Care model at its St. Paul's Hospital, and provides an update on how the model is providing better care and better patient outcomes. Officials say targets are either being exceeded or improvements towards the targets are being seen. This includes:

• Patient safety: A target of reducing length of stay by 10% from 13.93 days to 12.53 days was set prior to the model of care launch. By 90 days, length of stay was 10.57 days - a 22% reduction from baseline. For the patients, it means improved satisfaction and improved safety as prolonged hospital stays can reduce mobility and increase the likelihood of falls; and
• Staff satisfaction with communication among the healthcare team. With a baseline of 10%prior to implementation, just 90 days later, nursing staff satisfaction jumped to 85% being very satisfied.

The accountable care model is part of the provincial Connected Care Strategy to improve emergency wait times and patient flow, and strengthen team based care in hospital and in the community. Accountable Care Units have four key components:

1. Team approach including physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers and Client Patient Access Services (CPAS), and others physically located together on the unit;
2. Bedside rounds that involve all members of the care team, including the patient and family, and meet at the same time every day;
3. Measuring patient outcomes at unit level rather than hospital or health system level; and
4. Nurse and physician co-leadership (on traditional units, physicians are not included in unit management).