GI Unit Leadership: (Re)Starting Your Quality Program (On-demand) | February 2023-06_Isenberg

06_Isenberg_Benchmarking and Metrics

Pdf Summary

In this document, Gerard Isenberg, MD, MBA, FASGE, discusses the importance of benchmarking and quality metrics in empowering healthcare teams. Benchmarking is a method of identifying and adopting best practices to improve performance. Isenberg highlights the strategic and business imperative of benchmarking in the healthcare industry, particularly in the context of transitioning to value-based care, risk contracting, bundled payments, and alternative payment models. <br /><br />Endoscopy units face various challenges, such as shifting demographics, cost-efficiency, value-based reimbursement, population health management, advances in technology, physician leadership and engagement, care variations, clinical integration, care coordination, and patient and family engagement. Isenberg emphasizes the need for understanding the cost of services provided and the value equation, which differs for different stakeholders.<br /><br />The author explains multiple definitions of quality, including measurable quality, appreciative quality, and perceptive quality. He underscored the importance of looking beyond the adenoma detection rate (ADR) in endoscopy units and considering factors such as patient experience scores, employee engagement, nurse/tech turnover, specimen errors, infection control, and supply chain costs.<br /><br />Isenberg suggests that endoscopy teams that are both patient-centered and team-centered achieve better benchmarks and quality metrics. He outlines the principles of high-performing teams, including shared goals, clear roles, mutual trust (psychological safety), effective communication, and measurable processes and outcomes.<br /><br />The document provides strategies for empowering teams through benchmarking, such as establishing a vibrant team culture, knowing and sharing benchmarks from sources like ASGE Operations Survey Data Book and GIQuIC, targeting specific benchmarks and quality metrics, developing a performance improvement plan, and repeating the process. The author advises being cautious of pitfalls in the process and emphasizes the idea that together, everyone achieves more.

Keywords

benchmarking

quality metrics

healthcare teams

value-based care

endoscopy units

cost-efficiency

patient experience scores

high-performing teams

measurable processes

performance improvement plan