Prospects and Projects: Our Path to Quality Improvement Designation as a Choosing Wisely Hospital
Island Health has been recognized at as Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) Hospital at the Quality Improvement Status level. To achieve this designation, the Choosing Wisely at Island Health Oversight Committee focused on three key quality improvement initiatives including Using Blood Wisely, Using Labs Wisely, and Reducing Antipsychotic Prescribing for seniors with dementia in acute care.
Our quality improvement journey with CWC is not over. Island Health is committed to sustaining the positive changes achieved through our three initiatives, and the Oversight Committee are exploring new quality improvement opportunities to work towards Leadership Status as a CWC Hospital.
We invite you to visit the individual project pages to learn more about the three important quality improvement initiatives that contributed to our achievement of Choosing Wisely Canada QI Status.
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Using Blood Wisely |
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Using Labs Wisely |
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Reducing Antipsychotic Prescribing for seniors with dementia in acute care |
Celebrating Success with Choosing Wisely at Island Health
Medical staff and multidisciplinary team members at Island Health are driving change and choosing wisely everyday. Quality improvement does not happen in isolation.
Expand the headings below to learn more about the work of the Oversight Committee and our achievements so far.
If you are interested in joining the movement to reduce unnecessary variation in care or wish to share other Choosing Wisely work occurring in your practice please email MedStaffQI@islandhealth.ca.
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The Choosing Wisely at Island Health Oversight Committee aims to engage medical staff in CWC recommendations and support island-wide reduction of unnecessary variation in clinical practice through best practice and quality improvement.
Our journey to become a Choosing Wisely Canada designated hospital requires island-wide adoption of CWC recommendations through quality improvement methods, including the collection of baseline data, implementing the intervention, and collection of results data.
Subject matter expert groups work alongside Clinical Analytics to analyze current state, identify change ideas, spread awareness of best practice and champion change.
Together we have achieved Quality Improvement Status as a Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital which required five credits earned through participation in quality improvement efforts:
- Becoming a Using Blood Wisely Hospital (2 credits)
- Participating in Using Labs Wisely (2 credits)
- A self-directed Choosing Wisely QI project - Reducing antipsychotic prescribing in seniors with dementia in acute care (1 credit).
In addition to earning the credits listed above, Island Health will also need to demonstrate sustained efforts and ongoing organizational commitment to Choosing Wisely for 2 consecutive years and every two years thereafter.
Our journey isn’t over now that we have achieved our Quality Improvement Status designation. Together we will begin working towards Leadership Status by adding two new self-directed Choosing Wisely QI projects to our roster.
The Oversight Committee is committed to sharing progress on our initiatives and achievements including our CWC designations such as becoming a Choosing Wisely Canada designated hospital, Using Blood Wisely and Using Labs Wisely.
- Choosing Wisely Medical Staff Engagement Survey 2019
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Island Health deployed a Medical Staff Engagement Survey between December 11, 2019 through January 24, 2020 to assess Medical Staff interest in Choosing Wisely. All medical staff with Island Health privileges and 78 medical staff without Island Health privileges were invited to participate. Of those, 547 medical staff completed the survey, with representation across departments.
Island Health Choosing Wisely and Medical Staff Engagement Survey Results, January 2020 -
Island Health Achievements in Choosing Wisely - Level 1 Designation
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In 2019 Island Health made a commitment to join the Becoming a Choosing Wisely Hospital campaign, an initiative developed by Health Quality Ontario and the Ontario Hospital Association, in partnership with North York General Hospital.
With the help of local champions, the Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) Oversight Committee tackled all five Level 1 “Quick Wins” from the Becoming a Choosing Wisely Hospital Campaign and was awarded Level 1 Designation at CWC in November 2020.
Reducing Unnecessary Variation in Care – Choosing Wisely Canada Level 1 Designation Significant improvements in coagulation test ordering were achieved through the Becoming a Choosing Wisely Hospital Level 1. Ongoing monitoring of bundled coagulation tests are available on the Report PORTAL, and further improvements to reduce PT-INR testing continue. Coagulation measures are located on the ‘Quality Improvement’ section of the Report PORTAL under the heading ‘Medical Quality’. *Island Health login is required*
Visit the main Using Labs Wisely: Implementing Best Practice through Unbundling page and expand the heading “Maintaining Improvement and Supporting Practice Change: INR-PT/aPTT Ordering” to learn more.
In March 2022 CWC reframed the level 2 and 3 designations of the Becoming a Choosing Wisely Hospital campaign to include two designation streams where hospitals can work towards achieving Quality Improvement Status and Leadership Status. Island Health has achieved Quality Improvement status through participation in Using Blood Wisely, Using Labs Wisely and our self-directed project to reduce antipsychotic prescribing in seniors with dementia in acute care.
- Recognition as a Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital at Quality Improvement Status
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In April 2024 Island Health was recognized as a Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital at Quality Improvement Status.
Choosing Wisely Canada’s Hospital Designation Program launched in 2022 and recognizes hospitals and health organizations that take deliberate action to reduce overuse and demonstrate organizational commitment to minimizing waste and harm.
Island Health achieved QI status by successfully implementing three key Choosing Wisely quality improvement initiatives:
- Becoming a Using Blood Wisely Hospital (2 credits)
- Participating in Using Labs Wisely (2 credits)
- A self-directed Choosing Wisely QI project - Reducing antipsychotic prescribing in seniors with dementia in acute care (1 credit).
The desire to embed Choosing Wisely Canada at Island Health came initially from medical staff and achieving this designation is a reflection of the dedication of our incredible teams and our island-wide commitment to quality care.
This incredible achievement is a recognition of work by all medical, clinical and support staff across all sites at Island Health.
Medical Staff Voices for Choosing Wisely
The Choosing Wisely Oversight Committee is consistently working to engage with medical staff in pursuit of becoming a Choosing Wisely Canada Designated hospital at Leadership status, maintaining our Quality Improvement status and to present other opportunities to bring awareness of Choosing Wisely Canada to the island.
To read more about current initiatives happening at Island Health visit one of our project pages listed on the main page.
Are you involved in Medical Staff Quality Improvement or Choosing Wisely work that you would like to have highlighted? Please email MedStaffQI@islandhealth.ca and we can feature your project on the Choosing Wisely in Practice: Medical Staff Program Led Work page of the medical staff website.
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