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Little information is available on how active adult patients are during their hospitalization. The purpose of this study is to describe the level of ambulation in hospitalized patients. This was a cohort study of ambulatory patients from 3 hospital medical-surgical units conducted March 2014 through July 2014. Patients wore an accelerometer upon admission to the unit until discharge to home. Sensor placement and data review were performed as part of routine care. Step counts were merged with administrative and clinical data for analysis. Data were available on 777 patients who had at least 24 hours of monitoring prior to discharge. The sample included 57% females, and 55% were nonwhite. The median total step count over 24 hours was 1158 (interquartile range: 636–2238). Patients who were older accrued fewer steps compared to younger patients (962 vs 1294, P

Antibiotic stewardship is key to optimizing patient outcomes and affordable care. The study objective was to examine the effect of provider education and clinical decision support (CDS) on antibiotic prescribing for acute sinusitis among providers of varying experience.A stepped-wedge cluster randomized intervention to evaluate antibiotic use for acute sinusitis encounters at 126 Kaiser Permanente Southern California clinics between September 2014 and April 2015.The primary outcome was receipt of an antibiotic prescription. Multivariate analysis adjusted for patient, provider, and medical center characteristics. Secondary analyses described sinusitis and other common upper respiratory infection (URI) diagnoses and antibiotic use during the study period compared with prior years. Chart review of a random sample reported the proportion of encounters receiving guideline-concordant antibiotics.Analysis of 21,949 encounters (10,491 pre- and 11,458 post intervention) showed CDS reduced the use of antibiotics (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.87), although the pre-post absolute difference was small (85.9% vs 83.9%, respectively). Education had a large initial effect (AOR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.46-0.57), which did not persist. Increasing years of provider experience raised the rates of antibiotic prescribing, but did not have a significant interaction with CDS (P = .19). The effect of CDS varied by medical center (P.001). In addition, sinusitis diagnoses decreased post intervention, with no overall increase in antibiotic prescribing for URI diagnoses. Lastly, guideline-concordant antibiotic use increased by 14%.Provider education and CDS improved antibiotic stewardship and changed diagnosis patterns. The benefits of education were brief, and CDS effectiveness varied by medical center.

Patient-centered healthcare is a high priority and is commonly measured and incentivized through patient satisfaction surveys. There is a need to further understand if increasing satisfaction has the unintended consequence of encouraging low-value care. This study assessed the association of low-value antibiotic prescribing with patient satisfaction scores, and it evaluated patient and provider characteristics that may impact the association.Retrospective, observational study of acute sinusitis (AS) encounters for adult members of a large integrated delivery system from 2010 to 2013.Bivariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the use of antibiotics, patient attributes, and provider characteristics associated with favorable patient satisfaction scores.Among 5169 encounters for AS, 79.5% of encounters in which antibiotics were prescribed had favorable satisfaction scores versus 75.4% of encounters in which they were not. Independent predictors of favorable satisfaction scores included: receipt of antibiotics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.00-1.55), 45 years or older (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.24-1.69), Elixhauser Comorbidity Index score 2 or greater (aOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05-1.40), provider business partner status (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.20-1.58), and a bonded encounter between a patient and their assigned primary care physician (aOR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.75-2.44).Patient satisfaction scores are slightly lower when antibiotics are not prescribed for AS, but 75% of those encounters still received favorable satisfaction scores. Factors such as older patient age, more comorbidities, and an established patient-provider relationship had stronger associations with high patient satisfaction.

Quality improvement (QI) activities are critical to achieve the Triple Aim and to the Institute of Medicine's six "Aims for Quality Improvement": Safe, Effective, Patient-Centered, Timely, Efficient, and Equitable. These QI activities are essential to create a learning health care system. Academic publishing is critical to foster continuous QI and sharing, and yet it tends to favor more traditional research articles. Publishing QI activities has great value, encourages greater rigor, and helps facilitate greater willingness to share improvement opportunities.

Background End-of-life care is patient centered when it is concordant with patient preferences. Concordance has been frequently assessed by interview, chart review, or both. These time-consuming methods can constrain sample sizes, precluding population-level quality assessment. Concordance between preferences and care as measured by automated methods is described. Methods Automated processes extracted and analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data to assess concordance between 15 advance care planning preference domains and 232 related end-of-life care events for 388 patients aged 65 years or older with an inpatient encounter at Kaiser Permanente Southern California who died during or after the encounter. Patient preferences were recorded in advance directives or physician orders or reflected in hospital code status. Concordance, assessed in relation to the most recent documents, orders, or code status, occurred when patients received care they preferred or did not receive nonpreferred care. Discordance occurred when patients received care they did not prefer or did not receive care they preferred. Results Overall concordance for 12,592 observed end-of-life care events was 97.7%. A total of 55 of 4,154 (1.3%) received care events were nonpreferred, according to patient preferences in the EHR. Automated methods could not distinguish between medically nonbeneficial treatments, those that were not medically indicated, and potential undertreatment. Conclusion Automating assessment of concordance between care near the end of life and preferences is feasible but requires model refinement and discrete care preference data. Automated methods may be most valuable as a screening tool to identify potential overtreatment and undertreatment, with chart review to verify discordance.

Background A well-documented association exists between higher surgeon volumes and better outcomes for many procedures, but surgeons may be reluctant to change practice patterns without objective, credible, and near real-time data on their performance. In addition, published thresholds for procedure volumes may be biased or perceived as arbitrary; typical reports compare surgeons grouped into discrete procedure volume categories, even though the volume-outcomes relationship is likely continuous. Methods The concentration curves methodology, which has been used to analyze whether health outcomes vary with socioeconomic status, was adapted to explore the association between procedure volume and outcomes as a continuous relationship so that data for all surgeons within a health care organization could be included. Using widely available software and requiring minimal analytic expertise, this approach plots cumulative percentages of two variables of interest against each other and assesses the characteristics of the resulting curve. Organization-specific relationships between surgeon volumes and outcomes were examined for three example types of procedures: uncomplicated hysterectomies, infant circumcisions, and total thyroidectomies. The concentration index was used to assess whether outcomes were equally distributed unrelated to volumes. Results For all three procedures, the concentration curve methodology identified associations between surgeon procedure volumes and selected outcomes that were specific to the organization. The concentration indices confirmed the higher prevalence of examined outcomes among low-volume surgeons. The curves supported organizational discussions about surgical quality. Conclusion Concentration curves require minimal resources to identify organization- and procedure-specific relationships between surgeon procedure volumes and outcomes and can support quality improvement.

Objectives: Age and sex-specific differences exist in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Thus, within a diverse integrated health care delivery system of over 4 million members, we examined how sex-specific temporal trends in AMI incidence may have contributed to these differences and reflect evolving changes in AMI prevention efforts. Methods: We identified all Kaiser Permanente Southern California members (aged ≥35 years) with a primary ICD-9-CM hospital discharge diagnosis of AMI between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2014. Incident AMI hospitalization was defined as the first event documented in the electronic health record between 2000 and 2014, with no prior AMI hospitalization. Incident ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were identified similarly. Age-standardized (using U.S. 2010 Census data) and age-specific incidence rates by sex were calculated separately for AMI, STEMI and NSTEMI events for each calendar year. Average annual percent change and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using log-linear Poisson models. Results: A total of 45,331 AMI, 16,524 STEMI and 32,552 NSTEMI incident events were identified between 2000 and 2014. Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 person years) of AMI declined an average of 4.7%/year (95% CI [4.4, 4.9]) for men from 441.9 in 2000 to 223.6 in 2014 and 3.9%/year (95% CI [3.6, 4.2]) for women from 246.5 in 2000 to 146.4 in 2014. NSTEMIs declined an average of 2.8%/year (95% CI [2.5, 3.2]) for men from 268.2 in 2000 to 170.2 in 2014 and 1.9%/year (95% CI [1.5, 2.3]) for women from 156.1 in 2000 to 121.8 in 2014. Although STEMI incidence rates declined substantially from 2000 to 2014, sex differences were minimal, with an average decline of 8.0%/year (95% CI [7.6, 8.4]) for men from 205.9 in 2000 to 67.5 in 2014 and 8.9%/year (95% CI [8.3, 9.5]) for women from 107.2 in 2000 to 32.3 in 2014. Comparing 2000 to 2014, age-specific incidence rates of AMI, NSTEMI and STEMI declined in both men and women across all age groups ( Table ). Conclusions: Despite absolute differences, both men and women have experienced similar declines in hospitalized AMI, STEMI and NSTEMI incidence rates, presumably due to increased efforts in both primary and secondary AMI prevention.

OBJECTIVES The Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) creatinine safety program (Creatinine SureNet) identifies and outreaches to thousands of people annually who may have had a missed diagnosis for chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to determine the value of this outpatient program and evaluate opportunities for improvement. METHODS Longitudinal cohort study (February 2010 through December 2015) of KPSC members captured into the creatinine safety program who were characterized using demographics, laboratory results, and different estimations of glomerular filtration rate. Age- and sex-adjusted rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were compared with those in the overall KPSC population. RESULTS Among 12,394 individuals, 83 (0.7%) reached ESRD. The age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of ESRD was 2.7 times higher compared with the KPSC general population during the same period (94.7 vs 35.4 per 100,000 person-years; p < 0.001). Screening with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (vs Modification Diet in Renal Diseases) equation would capture 44% fewer individuals and have a higher predictive value for CKD. Of those who had repeated creatinine measurements, only 13% had a urine study performed (32% among patients with confirmed CKD). CONCLUSION Our study found a higher incidence of ESRD among individuals captured into the KPSC creatinine safety program. If the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation were used, fewer people would have been captured while improving the accuracy for diagnosing CKD. Urine testing was low even among patients with confirmed CKD. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a creatinine safety net program in an integrated health system but also suggest opportunities to improve CKD care and screening.

Objective Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) reduces aneurysm-related mortality and has been recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Heart Association since 2005. Medicare has covered a one-time screening ultrasound for new male enrollees with a familial or smoking history since 2007. Nevertheless, in the U.S., screening has remained underutilized. Review of patients with ruptured AAA in our system in 2007 showed the majority were undiagnosed, yet met U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Heart Association screening guidelines. To reduce the number of preventable AAA ruptures and deaths in our patients, we implemented an AAA screening program using our electronic medical record (EMR). This study describes the design, implementation, and early results of that screening program. Methods Between March 2012 and June 2013, men aged 65 to 75 years with any history of smoking were targeted for screening. Medical records were reviewed electronically to exclude patients with abdominal imaging studies within 10 years that would have diagnosed an AAA. Best practice alerts (BPA) were created in the EMR so when an appropriate patient is seen, office staff and providers are prompted to order an aortic ultrasound. AAA was defined as aortic diameter ≥3.0 cm or greater, and ultrasound reports contained a standard template providing guidance for patient management when an aneurysm was identified. Newly identified AAAs were triaged for vascular surgery consultation or follow-up with their primary physician. The number of eligible patients, unscreened patients, and AAAs identified were tabulated by our Regional Outpatient Safety Net Program. Results In a population of 3.6 million, 55,610 patients initially met screening criteria, and 26,837 (48.26%) were excluded from the BPA because of prior abdominal imaging studies. After 15 months, there were 68,164 patients who met screening criteria, 54,356 (79.74%) of whom had undergone an abdominal imaging study. Thus, 27,519 patients underwent an imaging study after the BPA was activated. During the study period, 731 new AAAs were diagnosed, 165 over 4.0 cm in diameter. Screening rates have increased at all medical centers where the BPA was activated, and the percentage of unscreened patients has been reduced from 51.74% to 20.26% system-wide. Conclusions In an integrated health care system using an EMR, AAA screening can be implemented with a dramatic reduction in unscreened patients. Further analysis is required to assess the impact of the screening program on AAA rupture rate and cost-effectiveness in our system.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Although health care organizations (HCOs) are intensely focused on improving the safety of health care, efforts to date have almost exclusively targeted treatment-related issues. The literature confirms that the approaches HCOs use to identify adverse medical events are not effective in finding diagnostic errors, so the initial challenge is to identify cases of diagnostic error. Why Health Care Organizations Need to Get Involved HCOs are preoccupied with many quality- and safety-related operational and clinical issues, including performance measures. The case for paying attention to diagnostic errors, however, is based on the following four points: (1) diagnostic errors are common and harmful, (2) high-quality health care requires high-quality diagnosis, (3) diagnostic errors are costly, and (4) HCOs are well positioned to lead the way in reducing diagnostic error. Finding Diagnostic Errors Current approaches to identifying diagnostic errors, such as occurrence screens, incident reports, autopsy, and peer review, were not designed to detect diagnostic issues (or problems of omission in general) and/or rely on voluntary reporting. The realization that the existing tools are inadequate has spurred efforts to identify novel tools that could be used to discover diagnostic errors or breakdowns in the diagnostic process that are associated with errors. New approaches—Maine Medical Center's case-finding of diagnostic errors by facilitating direct reports from physicians and Kaiser Permanente's electronic health record–based reports that detect process breakdowns in the follow-up of abnormal findings—are described in case studies. Conclusion By raising awareness and implementing targeted programs that address diagnostic error, HCOs may begin to play an important role in addressing the problem of diagnostic error.

OBJECTIVES Reducing avoidable hospital readmissions presents an opportunity to improve health care quality and reduce avoidable costs. We studied the effect person-focused care may have on reducing avoidable admissions to the hospital. METHODS Among patients with heart failure discharged from the hospital, we evaluated the effect on 30-day readmissions of transitions-in-care interventions: home health visits, follow-up phone calls, and physician office visits. We also used a standardized diagnostic tool to interview readmitted patients to identify social reasons that may have contributed to the readmission. Finally, we used the learnings from both interventions to develop a new intervention: a single complex disease case conference that included the entire health care team. We measured hospital admissions for 21 patients during the 6 months before and after their complex case conferences. RESULTS Observed-over-expected hospital readmission rates were lowest for patients receiving a postdischarge visit with a home health nurse and a follow-up visit with their physician (0.54), compared with solely a physician visit (0.81), home health visit (1.2), or phone call (1.55). Various social issues may contribute to hospital readmissions, including caregiver knowledge, ability to care for oneself at home, and issues related to medications (adherence, ability to pay, and knowledge about potential side effects). Substantially fewer hospital admissions occurred after complex case conferences. CONCLUSIONS Complex case conferences with disease-focused and person-focused interventions may be associated with reduced hospital admissions for patients with heart failure and multiple comorbidities.

Study objective Approximately 1 in 3 computed tomography (CT) scans performed for head injury may be avoidable. We evaluate the association of implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule on head CT imaging in community emergency departments (EDs). Methods We conducted an interrupted time-series analysis of encounters from January 2014 to December 2015 in 13 Southern California EDs. Adult health plan members with a trauma diagnosis and Glasgow Coma Scale score at ED triage were included. A multicomponent intervention included clinical leadership endorsement, physician education, and integrated clinical decision support. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving a head CT. The unit of analysis was ED encounter, and we compared CT use pre- and postintervention with generalized estimating equations segmented logistic regression, with physician as a clustering variable. Secondary analysis described the yield of identified head injuries pre- and postintervention. Results Included were 44,947 encounters (28,751 preintervention and 16,196 postintervention), resulting in 14,633 (32.6%) head CTs (9,758 preintervention and 4,875 postintervention), with an absolute 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5% to 8.1%) reduction in CT use postintervention. Adjusted pre-post comparison showed a trend in decreasing odds of imaging (odds ratio 0.98; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99). All but one ED reduced CTs postintervention (0.3% to 8.7%, one ED 0.3% increase), but no interaction between the intervention and study site over time existed ( P =.34). After the intervention, diagnostic yield of CT-identified intracranial injuries increased by 2.3% (95% CI 1.5% to 3.1%). Conclusion A multicomponent implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule was associated with a modest reduction in CT use and an increased diagnostic yield of head CTs for adult trauma encounters in community EDs.

Rationale, aims, and objectives The United States is in the midst of a public health epidemic with more than 40 people dying each day from prescription opioid overdoses. Health care systems are taking steps to address the opioid overdose epidemic by implementing policy and practice interventions to mitigate the risks of long-term opioid therapy. Kaiser Permanente Southern California launched a comprehensive initiative to transform the way that chronic pain is viewed and treated. Kaiser Permanente Southern California created prescribing and dispensing policies, monitoring and follow-up processes, and clinical coordination through electronic health record integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of these interventions and assess the impact of this set of interventions on opioid prescribing. Method The study used a retrospective pre-post evaluation design to track outcomes before and after the intervention. Kaiser Permanente Southern California members age 18 and older excluding cancer, hospice, and palliative care patients and this sub-population of 3 203 880 was approximately 75% of all Kaiser Permanente Southern California members. All data are from Kaiser Permanente's pharmacy data systems and electronic health record collected on a rolling basis as interventions were implemented from January 2010 to December 2015. Results There were reductions in all tracked outcomes: a 30% reduction in prescribing opioids at high doses; a 98% reduction in the number of prescriptions with quantities greater than 200 pills; a 90% decrease in the combination of an opioid prescription with benzodiazepines and carisoprodol; a 72% reduction in the prescribing of Long Acting/Extended Release opioids; and a 95% reduction in prescriptions of brand name opioid-acetaminophen products. In addition, methadone prescribing did not increase during this period. Conclusions This study adds promising results that a comprehensive system-level strategy has the ability to positively affect opioid prescribing. The basic components of the intervention are generalizable and applicable to other health care settings.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Despite colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and survival rates exceeding national averages in the United States, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) aimed to identify system-level improvement opportunities to further reduce mortality from CRC. Methods To examine modifiable factors contributing to CRC mortality, a structured hybrid electronic/manual mortality review was used to examine 50 randomly selected cases among 524 individuals aged 25–75 years diagnosed with stage II, III, or IV CRC after July 2008 who subsequently died. Physicians conducted chart reviews using a standardized data extraction tool based on evidence-based best practices. Results Eighty-six percent (43) of the 50 decedents were initially diagnosed with stage III or IV CRC; two cases of appendiceal cancer were excluded. Thirty-one percent (15) of the remaining 48 cases presented with no history of screening; 15% (7) had documented iron deficiency anemia and abdominal pain or rectal bleeding; and 6% (3) had no follow-up colonoscopy after positive screening. Eleven (52%) of the 21 patients with initial stage II-III CRC received appropriate surveillance after curative surgery; 57% (12) developed metastases. Adjuvant chemotherapy was offered to 88% (14/16) of patients with stage III (node-positive) CRC; chemotherapy initiation was delayed in 6 patients. Missed opportunities for surgical oncology evaluation occurred among 61% (11/18) of patients with liver metastases at diagnosis. Failure to report clinically significant features on pathology occurred in 2 patients; they received appropriate treatment for other reasons. Conclusions Improvement opportunities existed at multiple stages of care, including screening, evaluation of symptoms, timeliness of care, use of adjuvant chemotherapy, and surgical oncology practices.

Background: Racial disparities in blood pressure control in the U.S. have been well documented. In 2010, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a large and diverse integrated health care delivery system that provides care to over 4 million members, implemented a series of changes in health care delivery to address the disparity in hypertension control. Key elements included changes to the care team, patient activation, meaningful use of health information technology, and leadership vision. Methods: We examined trends in hypertension control between 2008 and 2014 by race/ethnicity in KPSC members aged 18 years and older. Patients with hypertension were identified from the KPSC POINT® (Permanente Online Interactive Network Tool) population care management hypertension registry. Blood pressure control was defined according to JNC-7 criteria in the fourth quarter of each calendar year from 2008 through 2014. Results: Between 2008 and 2014, the hypertension population increased from 624,493 to 745,382, while the prevalence was stable (25.9% in 2008 and 25.6% in 2014). During this period, the proportion of Whites and Blacks decreased slightly from 45.4% to 43.0% and 14.3% to 13.5%, respectively, while the proportion of Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders increased from 25.2% to 29.0% and 9.8% to 11.3%, respectively. Hypertension control increased from 74.0% in 2008 to 83.8% in 2014 and increased across age, sex, and racial/ethnic groups (Figure). Blacks had the largest improvement in hypertension control (68.8% to 80.8%), which was primarily driven by those aged 65+ years. The disparity in hypertension control between Whites and Blacks decreased from 6.9% to 5% between 2008 and 2014. Conclusions: While ecologic in nature, the secular increases in hypertension control suggest that implementation of a series of system-wide changes can affect all subpopulations.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act identified secure patient-physician e-mail messaging as an objective of the meaningful use of electronic health records. In our study of 35,423 people with diabetes, hypertension, or both, the use of secure patient-physician e-mail within a two-month period was associated with a statistically significant improvement in effectiveness of care as measured by the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). In addition, the use of e-mail was associated with an improvement of 2.0-6.5 percentage points in performance on other HEDIS measures such as glycemic (HbA1c), cholesterol, and blood pressure screening and control.

The Hispanic/Latino community increased by 58% in the last decade (1990-2000) and it is estimated that Hispanics/Latinos will be 30% of the population by 2050. Many of the Hispanic/Latino households (40%) surveyed by the census bureau in 2000 spoke Spanish. Because of its location, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, which provides the medical services for Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) serves a large and growing Hispanic/Latino community. It is estimated that by 2010, the KPSC region will be between 30-50% Hispanic/Latino. A Spanish language task force (the task force) was created in 2006 to address the needs of the KPSC Spanish-speaking membership using primary care services. This task force examined data from a variety of sources including electronic medical databases and focus group reports from Spanish-speaking members. Using the task force findings and the literature in this area, we make recommendations to increase patient-physician language concordance in other health care settings so that organizations can effectively serve a growing Hispanic/Latino, Spanish-speaking patient population.

Patient-facing online tools for managing preventive and chronic care can be a resource-effective way to increase patient agency in health promotion. Recently, Kaiser Permanente Southern California added the Online Personal Action Plan (oPAP) to the member web portal to better enable members to access information about prevention, health promotion, and care gaps. This study described Kaiser Permanente Southern California members who use oPAP, as well as how members use oPAP to close five different care gaps: hemoglobin A1c testing, pneumonia vaccination, and three cancer screenings.Care gap closure rates between oPAP users and members not registered on the online patient portal between December 2014 and March 2015 were compared. Data were analyzed in 2015. A total of 838,638 cases (48.9% women; mean age, 49.5 years; 40.4% oPAP users) were examined.Adjusting for demographics, BMI, smoking status, health and insurance status, and number of open care gaps, oPAP access was associated with a somewhat greater likelihood of care gap closure within 90 days for select care gap types, particularly hemoglobin A1c testing and breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening among eligible members. The effect of oPAP access on care gap closure differed by certain ethnic minority groups.Although healthcare organizations have developed approaches to managing and closing preventive care gaps, these efforts are resource intensive. Users of oPAP are more likely than non-registered members to close gaps, especially cancer screening tests. The oPAP appears to be an effective tool at improving patient engagement in preventive health care.

integrated system they studied, an accompanying editorial 2 identifies it as Kaiser Permanente. The authors conclude that the differences in care processes and outcomes were likely the result of the integrated nature of the system, and the editorial emphasizes the advantages of integrated systems for coordinated care and its potential role in the reported outcomes. We do not disagree with the findings concerning colon cancer care at Kaiser Permanente. However, the data do not support the conclusion that the better outcomes resulted from the integrated nature of the Kaiser Permanente health system. The study compared a single integrated health system and multiple nonintegrated systems; any conclusions that improved outcomes and reduced racial disparities occurred as a result of health system integration are likely to be confounded by differences between Kaiser Permanente and other health systems that the study design does not account for. Forexample,thecurrentperformanceofKaiserPermanente’s HealthcareEffectivenessDataandInformationSet(HEDIS)iswell above that of other generally nonintegrated health plans. Yet, KaiserPermanentehasbeenintegratedsincethe1940s,anditsperformance has not always been as good as it currently is. Between 2005 and 2011, we implemented a transformative model of care called Complete Care, and Kaiser Permanente Southern California performance on 51 HEDIS measures improved by an average of 13.3%, compared with an average improvement of 5.5% in the national HEDIS 50th percentile. 3 Over the same time period, integration within Kaiser Permanente was unchanged, suggesting that other factors are responsible for care improvements. Therefore, the absence of disparities identified by Rhoads et al 1 mayreflectotherfactors,includingengagingcareteams,empowering health care providers to work at the full level of their training, and providing aggressive outreach and case management for individual patients. 4 For example, hundreds of thousands of fecal immunochemical test kits are mailed to members each year, and dedicated teams remind patients to return them. An outpatient safety net ensures that patients with abnormal results are seen by specialists without delay. 5

Objective To develop an information model for automating evaluation of concordance between patient preferences and end-of-life care.Methods We modeled and validated 15 end-of-life care preference option domains, to which we mapped preferences recorded in standardized advance care planning documents and 232 end-of-life care events defined by procedure and medication codes. Patient preferences and end-of-life care events were available in electronic health records. Data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California modeling and testing populations were evaluated for concordance between patients’ preferences and the end-of-life care events they experienced.Results The information model successfully assessed concordance between patient preferences and end-of-life care events. Among 388 expired patients in the modeling population, 4164 care events occurred, 4100 (98%) of which were preference-concordant, and 64 (2%) of which were preference-discordant. Including end-of-life care events that did not occur increased the number of observations to 6029; 99% were preference-concordant. At the level of individuals, 72% (278) of patients experienced only preference-concordant care events, 13% (50) experienced at least one preference-discordant care event, and 15% (60) experienced no preference-related care events.Discussion Model limitations pertain to assumptions that are required to match advance care planning documents with patient preference options and exclusion of preferred care that did not occur. Further research is required to apply the model to larger populations and to investigate the need for additional preference options.Conclusion An information model for automating the assessment of the concordance between patients’ advance care planning preferences and the end-of-life care they received was effective in a small population and has the potential to assess population-level preference-concordance on an ongoing basis.

Efforts to improve patient safety have largely focused on inpatient or emergency settings, but the importance of patient safety in ambulatory care is increasingly being recognized as a key component of overall health care quality. Care gaps in outpatient settings may include missed diagnoses, medication errors, or insufficient monitoring of patients with chronic conditions or on certain medications. Further, care gaps may occur across a wide range of clinical conditions. We report here an innovative approach to improve patient safety in ambulatory settings -- the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) Outpatient Safety Net Program -- which leverages electronic health information to efficiently identify and address a variety of potential care gaps across different clinical conditions.Between 2006 and 2012, the KPSC Outpatient Safety Net Program implemented 24 distinct electronic clinical surveillance programs, which routinely scan the electronic health record to identify patients with a particular condition or event. For example, electronic clinical surveillance may be used to scan for harmful medication interactions or potentially missed diagnoses (e.g., abnormal test results without evidence of subsequent care). Keys to the success of the program include strong leadership support, a proactive clinical culture, the blame-free nature of the program, and the availability of electronic health information. The Outpatient Safety Net Program framework may be adopted by other organizations, including those who have electronic health information but not an electronic health record. In the future, the creation of a forum to share electronic clinical surveillance programs across organizations may facilitate more rapid improvements in outpatient safety.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening is standard of care, but its utility diminishes unless high quality is maintained. This project describes the improvement in diagnostic accuracy achieved at a large health maintenance organization by implementing a centralized reading center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were extracted from the electronic health records of patients with diabetes who underwent DR screening between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013, at 13 medical centers. Certified ophthalmic assistants and technicians were trained to read DR images under the supervision of a retinal specialist. This program was pilot-tested prior to full implementation. RESULTS: DR prevalence among the 13 centers in 2009 was 10.1%, far below the national average. After implementation, prevalence increased to 22.1%. The program also resulted in improved access to follow-up. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the value of a reading center in decreasing diagnostic error and achieving other improvements in a real-world setting. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2015;46:624–629.]

Little information is available on how active adult patients are during their hospitalization. The purpose of this study is to describe the level of ambulation in hospitalized patients. This was a cohort study of ambulatory patients from 3 hospital medical-surgical units conducted March 2014 through July 2014. Patients wore an accelerometer upon admission to the unit until discharge to home. Sensor placement and data review were performed as part of routine care. Step counts were merged with administrative and clinical data for analysis. Data were available on 777 patients who had at least 24 hours of monitoring prior to discharge. The sample included 57% females, and 55% were nonwhite. The median total step count over 24 hours was 1158 (interquartile range: 636-2238). Patients who were older accrued fewer steps compared to younger patients (962 vs 1294, P 0.0001). For patients who had at least 48 hours of monitoring (n = 378), there was an increase from 811 steps in the first 24 hours to 1188 steps in the final 24 hours prior to discharge. More frequent documentation was associated with higher step counts (P ≤ 0.001). We found that a diverse sample of hospitalized adult patients accrued over 1000 steps in the 24 hours prior to discharge home.

Purpose The dynamics of the physician knowledge system in the Southern California Region of Kaiser Permanente are explored. The framing and analysis use concepts from the knowledge management literature and network theory. The criticality of this issue to the establishment of sustainable healthcare relates to the lynchpin nature of embedding evidence-based knowledge in healthcare practice and the simultaneous challenge of combining this with clinical knowledge that derives from practice. Methodology/approach The case study is compiled from longitudinal interviews with over 40 physicians and other stakeholders and an examination of archival information including published articles generated by the learning system. Findings The socio-technical approach to building this learning system was critical given the expectations of physicians for autonomy in making clinical decisions with respect to their patients. This robust learning system builds on rich professional and organizational networks, is led by physicians, and builds on and extends the foundation of evidence relating to quality and value. The goals of the physician practice and a robust measurement and feedback system provide focus for the learning system. Social/practical implications Accelerating the incorporation of evidence-based practice and increasing the scope and reach of the learning system entails building physician networks, having a robust system for critically examining and extending evidence, and a clear linkage to valued outcomes. Originality/value of paper This detailed examination of the dynamics of knowledge absorption extends understanding of the capacity of medical care systems to absorb evidence-based knowledge.

Secure e-mailing between Kaiser Permanente physicians and patients is widespread; primary care providers receive an average of 5 e-mails from patients each workday. However, on average, secure e-mailing with patients has not substantially impacted primary care provider workloads. Secure e-mail has been associated with increased member retention and improved quality of care. Separate studies associated patient portal and secure e-mail use with both decreased and increased use of other health care services, such as office visits, telephone encounters, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Directions for future research include more granular analysis of associations between patient-physician secure e-mail and health care utilization.

In 2011, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region (KPNW) won the Lawrence Patient Safety Award for its innovative work in reducing hospital readmission rates. In 2012, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) won the Transfer Projects Lawrence Safety Award for the successful implementation of the KPNW Region's "transitional care" bundle to a Region that was almost 8 times the size of KPNW. The KPSC Transition in Care Program consists of 6 KPNW bundle elements and 2 additional bundle elements added by the KPSC team. The 6 KPNW bundle elements were risk stratification, standardized discharge summary, medication reconciliation, a postdischarge phone call, timely follow-up with a primary care physician, and a special transition phone number on discharge instructions. The 2 additional bundle elements added by KPSC were palliative care consult if indicated and a complex-case conference. KPSC has implemented most of the KPNW and KPSC bundle elements during the first quarter of 2012 for our Medicare risk population at all of our 13 medical centers. Each year, KPSC discharges approximately 40,000 Medicare risk patients. After implementation of bundle elements, KPSC Medicare risk all-cause 30-day Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set readmissions observed-over-expected ratio and readmission rates from December 2010 to November 2012 decreased from approximately 1.0 to 0.80 and 12.8% to 11%, respectively.

Re: Kanter MH, Nguyen M, Klau MH, Spiegel NH, Ambrosini VL. What does professionalism mean to the physician? Perm J 2013 Summer;17(3):87-90. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7812/TPP/12-120 Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing the commentary “What Does Professionalism Mean to the Physician?” in the Summer 2013 issue of The Permanente Journal. I agree that the core principles of professionalism include excellence, accountability, altruism, humanitarianism, respect for others, honor, and integrity. I would like to suggest that “duty” be considered as an additional core principle of professionalism. One could argue that duty is already incorporated into the existing core principles of professionalism. However, as a separate core principle, duty would weave a deontologic thread into the fabric of professionalism. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, deontology is “the theory or study of moral obligation.”1 The root of the word, deon, is Greek, which means “duty,” according to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.2 By including a deontologic thread into the fabric of professionalism, it acknowledges that physicians are driven by a sense of duty to their patients, their organization, and their communities. In fact, when other core principles of professionalism have failed, it is often the principle of duty that the physician must depend upon in order to continue her or his work. Once again, thank you for the excellent commentary.

Article-at-a-Glance Background In 2004 Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) recognized the potential to improve the quality of care. Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance was below what regional leadership aspired to achieve, exceeding the 90th national percentile on only 15 of 34 measures. Beginning in 2005 regional leadership identified several system opportunities to enhance evidence-based, person-focused care. Development of Complete Care KPSC developed and implemented a comprehensive delivery system redesign and expanded and integrated existing clinical information systems, decision support, work flows, and self-management support—collectively referred to as Complete Care. The goal of Complete Care is to transform care for healthy members, those with chronic conditions, and those with multiple comorbidities. To date, KPSC has applied Complete Care to 26 chronic conditions and areas of preventive and wellness care. Implemented in all care settings and optimizing the roles of all health care team members to maximal scope of practice, Complete Care provides evidence-based, person-focused care addressing a large set of protocol-based health needs for every individual during every encounter within the health care system. Results On 51 HEDIS metrics, KPSC improvement using Complete Care averaged 13.0%, compared with 5.5% improvement in the national HEDIS 50th percentile. Conclusion Implementation of Complete Care at KPSC was followed by six-year quality gains that outpaced changes in the HEDIS national percentiles for many measures. Additional care gaps have been included in proactive office encounter checklists; these relate to elder care, advance directives, posthospital care, immunizations, health maintenance, and pregnancy care.

BACKGROUND: Decreasing the overcollection of preoperative autologous blood is difficult to achieve. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an educational intervention designed to outline the risks of preoperative autologous collection can decrease such donations and, if so, to determine how this decrease will affect subsequent transfusion rates. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An educational intervention consisting of a didactic presentation to the Department of Gynecology staff about the risks and benefits of autologous blood was implemented. Written material with similar information was given to patients. Subsequently, the percentage of patients donating autologous blood, the number of autologous units donated, and the rates of transfusion in patients eligible for autologous donation who were admitted for elective abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy were measured. These rates were compared to those in similar patients admitted in the 2 years before the educational intervention. RESULTS: After an educational intervention, the proportion of patients donating autologous blood decreased from 53 percent to 26 percent (p

Preoperative Autologous Donation Preoperative autologous donation was rarely used before the recognition that HIV could be transmitted by blood transfusion. Fifteen years ago, fewer than 5 percent of eligible patients who were scheduled for elective surgery chose autologous blood donation.121 When public awareness of the possibility of transfusion-transmitted HIV became widespread, however, there was concern that too few patients were choosing autologous blood donation as an option. Several states, including California, passed legislation requiring that whenever it was “reasonably” likely that transfusion would be needed, a patient should be informed of all of the options regarding and alternatives to allogeneic . . .

Blood transfusion and blood conservation (techniques or strategies to avoid the need for blood) are complementary activities that constitute the clinical arena of transfusion medicine. Recent improvements in the safety of the blood supply and the increasing costs associated with transfusion therapies have led to a reevaluation of the clinical practices of blood transfusion and blood conservation. Among the issues that have been reevaluated are the threshold for transfusion at which the benefits outweigh the risks and the identification of patients most likely to benefit from blood conservation. This review summarizes recent developments in transfusion medicine that have affected the . . .

Although the link between the BRCA1 tumour–suppressor gene and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is established1,2,3,4,5, the role, if any, of BRCA1 in non–familial cancers is unclear. BRCA1 mutations are rare in sporadic cancers6,7,8, but loss of BRCA1 resulting from reduced expression or incorrect subcellular localization9,10 is postulated to be important in non–familial breast and ovarian cancers. Epigenetic loss, however, has not received general acceptance due to controversy regarding the subcellular localization of BRCA1 proteins, reports of which have ranged from exclusively nuclear11,12,13,14,15, to conditionally nuclear10, to the ER/golgi16, to cytoplasmic invaginations into the nucleus17. In an attempt to resolve this issue, we have comprehensively characterized 19 anti–BRCA1 antibodies. These reagents detect a 220–kD protein localized in discrete nuclear foci in all epithelial cell lines, including those derived from breast malignancies. Immunohistochemical staining of human breast specimens also revealed BRCA1 nuclear foci in benign breast, invasive lobular cancers and low–grade ductal carcinomas. Conversely, BRCA1 expression was reduced or undetectable in the majority of high–grade, ductal carcinomas, suggesting that absence of BRCA1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of a significant percentage of sporadic breast cancers.

ntibody identification depends upon testing a serum containing an antibody with an unknown specificity with red cells (RBCs) of several pheno

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to search for a more effective transfusion-monitoring system than the existing system of retrospective peer review. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This research used a study-control, preintervention and postintervention design, to evaluate the effectiveness of a prospective physician self-audit transfusion-monitoring system that functioned without the direct involvement of transfusion service physicians. This research also evaluated the effectiveness of issuing to physicians a memo with transfusion guidelines. Three process indicators were used to assess physician behavior at various stages of the blood-ordering process: 1) the number of crossmatches ordered per admission, 2) the transfusion-to- crossmatch ratio, and 3) the number of blood units returned to the laboratory after physician self-auditing. The study used two outcome indicators to reflect overall blood utilization: 1) the percentage of patients who received red cell transfusions and 2) the number of blood units transfused per recipient each month. RESULTS: The prospective physician self-audit system implemented at the study hospital did not reverse physician transfusion decisions, and the process of issuing to physicians a memo with transfusion guidelines at the control hospital failed to reduce blood usage. However, a transient reduction in blood utilization was observed at the study hospital. CONCLUSION: The reduction was hypothesized to be due to a Hawthorne effect, in which observed behavior is affected by the subject's awareness of the research study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephonic outreach program to improve blood pressure (BP) control among patients with hypertension. The authors identified adults 18 years and older with uncontrolled BP within the previous 12 months. Patients received either an automated telephone call advising them to have a walk-in BP check (n=31,619) or usual care (n=33,154). The primary outcome was BP control at 4 weeks. Significantly more patients who received the intervention achieved BP control compared with the usual care group (32.5% vs 23.7%; P

Little is known about whether health information technology (HIT) affects patient experiences with health care.To develop HIT questions that assess patients care experiences not evaluated by existing ambulatory Consumer Assessment of Health Plans and Systems (CAHPS) measures.We reviewed published articles and conducted focus groups and cognitive testing to develop survey questions. We collected data, using mail and the internet, from patients of 69 physicians receiving care at an academic medical center and 2 regional integrated delivery systems in late 2009 and 2010. We evaluated questions and scales about HIT using factor analysis, item-scale correlations, and reliability (internal consistency and physician-level) estimates.We found support for 3 HIT composites: doctor use of computer (2 items), e-mail (2 items), and helpfulness of provider's website (4 items). Corrected item-scale correlations were 0.37 for the 2 doctor use of computer items and 0.71 for the 2 e-mail items, and ranged from 0.50 to 0.60 for the provider's website items. Cronbach α was high for e-mail (0.83) and provider's website (0.75), but only 0.54 for doctor use of computer. As few as 50 responses per physician would yield reliability of 0.70 for e-mail and provider's website. Two HIT composites, doctor use of computer (P0.001) and provider's website (P=0.02), were independent predictors of overall ratings of doctors.New CAHPS HIT items were identified that measure aspects of patient experiences not assessed by the CAHPS CG 1.0 survey.

Purpose – This chapter argues that health care is best conceptualized as a complex adaptive system. Sustainable health care depends on harnessing the complexity of the system by building aligned purpose, flexible pathways to connect people, knowledge and resources, and the capacity for self-organization. Design/methodology/approach – The case study of the Southern California Region of Kaiser Permanente is based on three years of interviews and archival data collection examining the system's transformational change that began in 2004 and has been aimed at building a sustainable health care system with the guiding principles of value and prevention. The case focuses primarily on the medical care delivery system designed by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, the capabilities that have been built into the system to continually improve the quality of care and the outcomes of the system, and the results that have been achieved. Findings – During the period from 2004 to 2011, the region improved significantly in slowing cost acceleration by significantly improving medical care. The implementation of an electronic medical records system and its integration with other clinical information technology systems have enabled: (1) truly integrated, well defined, and easily navigated care delivery systems that are based on evidence; (2) upstream focus on prevention, disease control, patient education, and population health; and (3) management accountability and organizational improvement systems based on transparency of data and feedback. Physician leadership and partnering with the region's administrative and hospital leadership have been critical change enablers. Originality/value – Embracing the complexity of the system has led to the crafting of pathways and linkages that enable patients to move through the system to flexibly and efficiently connect to the knowledge and resources required to optimize their health. This requires continual self-organization based on well-defined roles and connections. Previous health care improvement approaches have stressed initiatives and organizational changes that may further fragment the health care system.

With the implementation of the electronic medical record—called HealthConnect—in all exam rooms throughout the Kaiser Permanente health care delivery system, how computers in the exam room affects physician-patient communication is a new concern. Patient satisfaction scores were obtained for all primary and specialty care physicians in a large medical center in Southern California to determine how scores changed as physicians started using HealthConnect in the exam room. Results show no significant changes in patient satisfaction for these physicians. Although concerns were not realized that patient satisfaction might decrease after HealthConnect was introduced, there was also no evidence that introducing an electronic medical record in outpatient clinics increased patient satisfaction.

In 2007, Kaiser Permanente's (KP) Southern California Region designed and implemented a systematic in-reach program, the Proactive Office Encounter (POE), to address the growing needs of its three million patients for preventive care and management of chronic disease. The program sought staff from both primary and specialty care departments to proactively identify gaps in care and to assist physicians in closing those gaps. The POE engaged the entire health team in a proactive patient-care experience, creating standard work flows and using information technology to identify gaps in patient care. The goals were to improve consistency of preventive care and improve quality of care for chronic conditions and to improve reliability of staff support for physicians. The POE has been implemented in all outpatient settings in KP's Southern California Region's 13 medical centers and 148 medical office buildings. The program has contributed to significant improvements in key clinical quality metrics, including cancer screenings, blood pressure control, and tobacco cessation. It is now being extended into the inpatient setting and is being shared with other KP Regions.

Background Chronic kidney disease is highly prevalent but is challenging to diagnose because of the need to establish chronicity. Within the current healthcare environment, a single abnormal creatinine measurement often can go without a follow-up, which can lead to missed diagnoses or diagnostic errors. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California creatinine safety program (the Creatinine SureNet) was created to help ensure that all single abnormal creatinine results had a follow-up evaluation. Methods In the period February 1, 2010, to March 1, 2014, the electronic health records were used to capture individuals with single abnormal creatinine results that went >90 days without a repeat measurement. A coordinated effort among a centralized regional nurse and providers was used to communicate with patients and order a repeat creatinine measurement. Results A total of 12,396 individuals were identified (84% ambulatory care encounters). A total of 6981 individuals (52%) followed up with a repeat measurement. Female patients, non-Hispanic whites, and older individuals were more likely to obtain a repeat measurement. Subsequently, 3668 individuals had chronic kidney disease confirmed. Within 6 months, 1550 patients had chart documentation of their chronic kidney disease and 336 patients had a nephrology consultation. Conclusions The ambulatory care environment, given its high volume and various prioritizations, is an under-recognized area where diagnostic errors are not uncommon and failure to follow up on abnormal test results can occur routinely. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Creatinine SureNet program leverages the electronic health records and its multidisciplinary resources in an effort to ensure that patients with potential chronic kidney disease are identified and managed properly.

60 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the US, despite the availability of highly effective screening and treatment modalities. Kaiser Permanente Southern California is a non profit integrated health care organization that serves 3.7 million socio-economically diverse members. Our region has developed a goal to reduce colorectal cancer mortality by 50% in the next decade, from our baseline measurement of 13.8 deaths/100,00 members to 6.9 deaths/100,000 members. Methods: A literature search was conducted by the evidence based services unit to identify interventions demonstrated in published literature to reduce CRC mortality. These interventions were used to develop a spread sheet to guide the e-Autopsy, an electronic medical records review of 50 cases of recent death with CRC that was conducted by a multi-specialty group of reviewers: physicians in primary care, medical and surgical oncology, and pathology. Records of patients who died were compared to the best practices identified in the literature review to measure how often care was not matching the best practices. Review and comments were tallied by a quality nurse and reviewed by a multi-disciplinary steering group. Results: Electronic record review revealed multiple areas of opportunity for focus: Improve screening rates; Reduce diagnostic errors in evaluation of anemia/abdominal complaints; Improve care co-ordination to reduce time to surgery and chemotherapy administration; Evaluate metastatic disease for resection; Improve rates of delivery of adjuvant chemotherapy; Engage patients in lifestyle modifications. Ongoing system wide metrics and a dashboard have been developed to monitor progress in each of these areas. The relevant chiefs of service groups have developed goals and work plans to improve these metrics, which are also monitored by a central quality steering committee. Conclusions: Electronic medical record "autopsy" review of deaths in the system can be used to find and demonstrate multiple areas of focus for quality improvement projects that will help support the ultimate big region wide goal of halving the deaths from colorectal cancer.

Background/Aims There are over 60 published implementation science frameworks, and despite the advantages of each, none were designed to help clinicians and administrators to standardize and prioritize initiatives, implement programs efficiently, and evaluate with sufficient rigor.