Cardiac Working Group
The PRHI Cardiac Working Group CWG), made up of 10 cardio-thoracic surgery programs in Western Pennsylvania, developed and shared vital information about the evaluation and treatment of its patients with heart disease, closing the gap between basic research and complex clinical decision-making through patient-focused, interdisciplinary collaboration.
The CWG balanced current contrasting approaches to improvement (basic research, public reporting, pay for performance, reimbursement reform, etc.) by enhancing clinical knowledge, collaboration and shared decision-making. The voluntary, multi-disciplinary group of clinicians, data analysts, and healthcare research and administrative personnel sought continuous improvements in the quality, safety, and effectiveness of cardiac care.
Working group members represented a broad range of professionals including surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, intensive care nurses, and other members of the hospital team. Together, they maintained a Cardiac Registry, convened semi-annual Cardiac Forums, produced facility-based and regional reports, and facilitated topical working groups. Using collective data, they determined best practices in coronary care and steering efforts to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.
Five Principles of the Cardiac Working Group
- Provide a forum that is safe, institution-neutral, and open to all; trust is essential;
- Focus on improving patient outcomes by changing care practices;
- Utilize process and outcome information for learning rather than for marketing or casting judgments;
- Base learning and decisions on valid and reliable data;
- Share improvement knowledge among healthcare professionals.
These principles guided the CWG's decision-making, especially around care processes that affect patient outcomes. They ensure consistency in the CWG's activities and have created and supported a learning culture: clinicians are open to feedback about their clinical practices and freely collaborate with peers to initiate practice changes to improve outcomes.