P184 - IMPROVING PROCESS OF CARE MEASURES FOR PATIENTS WITH IBD: KEY FINDINGS FROM A QI PILOT
(Room Poster Hall)
19 Jan 18
5:30 PM
-
7:00 PM
Tracks:
Management of Complicated IBD
Background: Nursing staff within a GI practice can coordinate care around IBD quality measures by checking for bone loss related to corticosteroid use, providing smoking cessation counseling, performing TB & HBV testing prior to initiating biologics, & ensuring that patients receive appropriate vaccinations. Studies continue to demonstrate care gaps around these measures. In 2016, the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and MCM Education developed a Quality Improvement (QI) educational pilot program. This program was supported by an independent educational grant provided by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. Methods: The QI pilot involved 3 GI practices in NH, VA, and FL. Nurses at each practice participated in a live CE workshop focused on improving IBD quality measures. Then, the nurses engaged in a series of process improvement plans & used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to track their progress over 12 months. Using a mixed-methods approach, the educational planners identified improvements in knowledge & changes in processes aimed at system-level barriers. Results: Participants gained knowledge about smoking cessation, vaccinations, & steroid-related bone loss screening. They ensured that TB and HBV testing is always performed prior to initiating biologics. Two of the GI practices switched EHRs during the QI initiative. In one practice, the nurses began initiating orders for bone scans in patients at risk for steroid-related bone loss. Another practice established an IBD registry to track quality. Conclusion: Nurses who are educated & trained in QI can improve care for patients with IBD. This QI project revealed ways to improve care coordination around smoking cessation, steroid-related bone loss assessments, vaccinations, and lab testing prior to the initiation of biologics. The combination of certified CE & the use of QI methods can allow nurses to be more knowledgeable and effective as they coordinate care & manage patients with IBD.