2011 Areas of Funding
We are proud of our work this past year, however, there is still so much to be done. We continually ask ourselves, “What more can we do? How do we prevent more medical errors from happening and raise awareness of this terrible issue?” We plan to continue our involvement with the SASC and we will continually update the website with news and information. In addition, we are planning the following research and outreach activities for 2011:
The Batz Guide
The Batz Guide was published in October 2010. It was a collaborative effort with our medical advisory board, volunteers and community partners. Several copies have been distributed and the feedback has been extremely positive. Along with the research project in the facility, the Foundation is eager to get these guides in the hands of the patients and their advocates. We are interested in talking with medical professionals on the frontlines to help distribute them to people at their time of need and when they can be most impactful. The printing, distribution and promotion of the guide require funding. We know that this guide will save lives as we have already heard from our users that it has been instrumental in identifying errors and empowering its readers. While people can locate the guide online, we do not want to be reactive. We do not want to wait for people to find us after it is too late. Our mission is to PREVENT medical errors and reduce deaths related to medical errors. This requires us to proactively promote the solutions that are available.
Educational and Awareness Campaign
By giving to the year-end appeal, the Foundation will be able to raise awareness of this critical issue. It is imperative that we reach people prior to entering the hospital and we need to develop and execute an outreach strategy to have maximum impact. We also need to make sure that the general public and those interacting most with our healthcare system are aware of the statistics so they can be more prepared for their own medical interactions. Along with educating the patients and their loved ones, the Foundation will leverage our relationships with medical facilities and professionals to impact our mission. We believe in creating a team effort to improve patient safety and we will include all audiences in our outreach efforts.
2011 Research Project in San Antonio
The Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation is collaborating with the Baptist Healthcare System and University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA) to implement a six-month pilot-study at Northeast Baptist Hospital’s Orthopedic Unit. Together, we will provide our educational materials to patients and families in hopes of effectively integrating our patient safety model into the hospital’s culture. UTHSCSA’s Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice will systematically evaluate the effectiveness of The Batz Guide (print and online), teamwork concept, and communication improvements including patients, families, nurses and doctors working together to improve patient safety. The study includes training by nurses to joint surgery patients and their families during pre-surgery meetings. Training will include an overview of the Foundation’s educational materials. The study will also include professional education provided by the Foundation’s staff and board of advisors.
The pilot-study will be based on the principles of Team STEPPS, developed by the Department of Defense Patient Safety Program, in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. According to the Team STEPPS approach:
“Human Factors research has shown that even highly skilled, motivated professionals are vulnerable to error due to inherent human limitation. HROs, such as those found in military operations, aviation, community emergency response services, and nuclear power industries, have learned that TEAMS of individuals who communicate effectively- and back each other up-compensate for individual fallibility and dramatically reduce the consequences of inevitable human error-resulting in enhanced safety and improved performance.”
We are anxious to begin the study and plan to replicate the recommended outcomes throughout San Antonio. We are also saddened that this is an issue that affects millions of people every day throughout Texas and the entire U.S. We are hopeful that our research and educational tools will be implemented throughout the country and more lives will be saved because our efforts.
Patient Protection smart phone applications
The Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation has partnered with Ringful Health to develop two mobile applications for the iPhone and iPad. The applications allow patients and their loved ones to electronically record medication information and have immediate access to The Batz Guide. Use of this technology ensures that everyone will have easy access to the information needed to work with hospital staff and family members to prevent medical errors. The availability of these applications on iTunes also provides an efficient and cost-effective way to distribute this vital information.