The sharks are back and they are hungry! They are on the hunt for innovative quality improvement projects designed to improve high value care (HVC) delivery. HVC is evidence-based, value-enhancing practices aimed at improving outcomes and the cost and quality of healthcare. The Sharks, an esteemed panel of quality and safety experts from across the CU School of Medicine and UCHealth, will hear presentations from the Shark Tank Finalists and choose a winning project to receive support from the DOM Quality & Patient Safety (QPS) Team.
HF RADAR: Reduced Admissions and Decompensation and Augmented Recovery for Heart Failure Patients​
Heart failure (HF) is a common cause of re-hospitalizations and patient morbidities. Successful strategies to reduce hospitalization include more frequent provider contact and strategies to track HF patients and optimize evidence-based medical therapies (EMT). The ten continuity clinics of Cardiology Fellows include 25% of the general cardiology patients but a higher prevalence of HF patients with high-risk conditions for readmission. This high value care project will:
1) implement a RADAR screen (Dashboard) for tracking HF patients in the clinical practice of the Cardiology Fellow Clinics
2) improve rates of titrating optimal medical therapies and normalizing left ventricular (LV) function
3) and engage the providers in assessments of quality care for CHF patients. The aim is to reduce the rate of HF admissions by 15%, and improve the rate of LV function recovery that may avoid the need for ICD placement. Furthermore, the project will provide feedback and self-evaluation of high value care for future general cardiologists.
HF RADAR Team:
Dan Huck, MD, Team Leader for Wednesday Fellow Clinic
Scott Freeman, MD, Team Leader for Thursday Fellow Clinic
Karen Moulton, MD, Faculty Sponsor, Director Cardiology Fellow Clinic