Case Studies

Standardizing Patient Care

STANDARDIZING PATIENT CARE

Bon Secours Mercy Health: Standardizing COPD Patient Care With Evidence-based EHR Solutions

Overview

Bon Secours Mercy Health established a systemwide standard of COPD management to incorporate GOLD staging into the approach, ensure that PIF is documented, and operationalize the approach within the EHR.¹

The Challenge

Bon Secours Mercy Health needed to reduce 30-day COPD readmissions after identifying several contributing factors such as utilization of triple therapies, utilization of rescue inhalers, and the lack of prompt pulmonary follow-up.¹

The Approach

Incorporated the GOLD Strategy Report COPD recommendations into a standardized care process that facilitates coordination across multiple sites of care

Assessment^1,2:
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  The HCP receives an EHR alert if the patient with COPD has not had diagnostic pulmonary function testing
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  The EHR flowsheet calculates the GOLD grade and GOLD group based on assessment input
Treatment selection and discharge²:
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  The hospital outpatient pharmacist receives an EHR notification and provides recommendations to the prescribing HCP based on the assessment results
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  Pharmacists deliver the filled prescription to the patient in the hospital setting
Follow-up²:
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  Seven-day follow-ups are encouraged

COPD=chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; EHR=electronic health record; GOLD=Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; HCP=healthcare provider; PIF=peak inspiratory flow.

1. Data on file. Bon Secours Mercy Health; 2021. 2. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 2023 report. https://goldcopd.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GOLD-2023-ver-1.1-2Dec2022_WMV.pdf. Assessed February 16, 2023.