QI team shares ownership and gets results

The FOCUS-PDCA framework for process improvement developed by the Hospital Corporation of America helps the healthcare team look at work as a series of processes that can be improved rather than focus on the people involved in the processes. It is data driven, and it encourages teamwork and shared ownership in the process improvement opportunity. This article describes how, by using FOCUS-PDCA, the length of stay (LOS) quality improvement (QI) team at Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster, MA, has decreased dramatically the time patients spend awaiting nursing home placement.