Innovative Program Doubles Patient Engagement, Cuts Heart Failure Readmission Rate in Half

SEATTLE, Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A San Diego medical group's disease management program increased patient engagement rates from 28% to 67%, leading to a decline in both hospitalizations and 30-day readmissions for program participants. In recognition of its innovative chronic care program, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers received the 2013 Doyle Award from MCG (formerly Milliman Care Guidelines), a leading provider of clinical guidelines to payor and provider markets.

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"Together, the patient and care team create a shared action plan that is communicated to every caregiver along the way, driving patient-centered decision making," said Sharp Rees-Stealy's Director of Population Health Janet Appel. "Patients don't have to repeat themselves, and they don't feel lost in the system. Instead they have become engaged as their own best caregivers."

Sharp Rees-Stealy implemented a heart failure disease management program based on the MCG Chronic Care guidelines, creating a multidisciplinary team that works with patients to develop evidence-based plans of care. Transitioning from a fragmented process to coordinated care has enabled staff to identify candidates for the heart failure program early in their hospitalization, provide personalized attention, and move them seamlessly across the continuum of care. This has led to higher rates of patient engagement, as well as higher patient, physician, and nurse satisfaction levels.

The ultimate impact has been an overall 49% drop in 30-day heart failure readmission rates for Sharp Rees-Stealy HMO patients discharged with a primary or secondary diagnosis of heart failure.

"Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. and accounts for roughly three quarters of healthcare spending," said MCG President Jon Shreve. "Solving the puzzle of effective chronic care is the key to creating a sustainable modern healthcare system.  To do so, we need organizations with the boldness to innovate and the discipline to apply the best evidence – organizations like Sharp Rees-Stealy."

About Sharp Rees-Stealy

Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers offer multispecialty care from a dedicated team including 2,000 staff members representing virtually every health profession, in addition to the more than 460 physicians who are members of the affiliated Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group.  Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers are dedicated to delivering the extraordinary level of caring called The Sharp Experience, which combines clinical excellence, advanced technology and patient- and family-centered care. Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers has 20 locations and accepts most health insurance plans.

Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers is part of Sharp HealthCare, San Diego's most comprehensive health care delivery system. To learn more about Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers, visit www.sharp.com/srs (http://www.sharp.com/srs) or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277) to choose a doctor who's right for you.

About MCG

MCG, formerly Milliman Care Guidelines, independently develops and produces evidence-based clinical guidelines and software used by more than 2,200 clients, including 1,200 hospitals and eight of the ten largest U.S. health plans. Updated annually by an experienced team of clinicians, the care guidelines support the care management of a majority of Americans. For more information, visit www.careguidelines.com (http://www.careguidelines.com).

About The Richard L. Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare

The Doyle Award was developed to recognize organizations that make innovative use of the care guidelines to help deliver effective healthcare.

Dr. Doyle, the care guidelines founding editor, was a hospital chief-of-staff when he began creating clinical guidelines in the 1980s to help improve healthcare efficiency and quality at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He later joined Milliman & Robertson and in 1990 published the first set of what was to become the care guidelines.

Judges for this award are independent healthcare quality experts, not currently associated with MCG. Applicants were judged on how well their projects supported the MCG mission to help drive effective care. Judges looked for evidence of improvements in healthcare quality and patient safety; patient/member satisfaction; staff efficiency, productivity and satisfaction; internal/external communication; and effective use of resources.

Media Contact
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MCG
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SOURCE MCG