Engaging Chief Medical Officers to Improve Multidisciplinary Rounds

Multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs), a model of care in which multiple members of the care team, representing different disciplines, come together to discuss the care of a patient in real-time. MDRs are a valuable tool for clinical teams to improve patient length of stay (LOS), reduce healthcare-associated infections, and increase care coordination. HCA Healthcare's data science and performance improvement teams created a data visualization tool called Next-gen Analytics for Treatment and Efficiency (NATE) Tempo to support care teams in managing rounds and barriers.

A pilot implementation of MDRs using the NATE Tempo tool was initiated in 10 hospitals, accompanied by a survey for Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of each of the participating hospitals.

Implementation of MDRs using the NATE Tempo tool was associated with an average reduction in LOS ratio from 135% to 114% across the 10 hospitals. CMO survey feedback identified areas of improvement related to MDR participation, and incorporation of NATE Tempo. CMO leadership within each facility and the use of the interactive dashboard facilitated the identification of high performers and areas of opportunity for improvement.

CMO engagement can help physicians take steps to decrease variation in practice, leading to compliance with best practice guidelines and decreasing the overall LOS in hospitals. The MDR process can support these efforts. Empowering CMOs through the use of the NATE Tempo tool improved engagement. Through the tool, the CMO promotes coordination of patient care throughout the hospital experience and during the post-discharge phase.