the data is clear: They're not having better outcomes. Of course you
have to be absolutely sure about the data integrity. If you show me 5
pieces of data and I identify one as incorrect, it poisons the other 4.
Q: These are the kinds of initiatives you're
undertaking now that you couldn't do before?
A: Yes, we internally benchmark now, and we want to externally
benchmark with some of the other children's hospitals on operations
issues and costs. You want to get to the point where people want
more information. We're finding that a number of the surgical chiefs
are asking for more and more, which I think is a major step forward.
They're becoming much more proactive. You're getting people
engaged and other people are seeing it and wanting to do the same
thing.
Q: Where do you go from here?
A: We're learning more and more. We're probably using 10% of the sys-
tem's capability. With the stuff we've tried to improve on here, we're
maybe 35% to where I want to be. Going forward, almost everything we
do is going to be done electronically. We'll be able to provide better and
better care by looking at case-mix index, the acuity of patients and so
forth. OSM
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T
E-mail jburger@outpatientsurgery.net.
