Health Services Management Research > Volume 21, Number 4 > Pp. 276-280

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Standardized care processes to improve quality and safety of patient care in a large academic practice: the Plummer Project of the Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic

Douglas L Wood ^*  , Michael D Brennan , Rajeev Chaudhry , Anthony A Chihak , Wayne L Feyereisn , Naomi L Woychick , Philip T Hagen , Jonathan W Curtright , James M Naessens ^**, Barbara R Spurrier  and Nicholas F LaRusso   

* Division of Health Care Policy and Research; Department of Internal Medicine; Department of Facilities and Support Services; Internal Medicine Administrative Services; ^** Division of Biostatistics; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Department of Research Administration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

Correspondence to: Rajeev Chaudhry Email: chaudhry.rajeev{at}mayo.edu

There are opportunities to improve quality and safety of care provided to adult patients. The Plummer Project of the Department of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) is an initiative to redesign outpatient practice. We used multidisciplinary teams to standardize the tasks essential to improve patient care. With the initiative to standardize the rooming process, patient care and safety improved with greater accuracy of the medication list. The standardization also improved physician efficiency because trained clinical assistants helped address the needs of the patient. Physicians were satisfied by the new process and the technology enhancements. Clinical assistants were also highly satisfied by the training process. The quality and safety of patient care can be significantly improved by practice redesign. This practice redesign was satisfying for all, especially the patients, physicians and support team in our practice.

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