Dr. David Abrutyn, orthopaedic surgeon and medical director, and Randy Tomas, joint care coordinator at the Joint Surgery Institute at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey, U.S., worked with Marshall Steele, a company later acquired by Stryker, to implement evidence-based best practices in blood transfusion management, which helped patients like Mary Ann Polito (far right).
Better Performance
Blood transfusions (expected or unexpected) take place in approximately two-thirds of patients undergoing joint arthroplasty, and are associated with risks and substantial costs of maintaining a safe and adequate blood supply.
73%
reduction in blood transfusions from its historical baseline.
In 2010 the Joint Surgery Institute at Somerset Medical Center, in Somerville, New Jersey, started working with Marshall Steele, a company later acquired by Stryker, to implement evidence-based best practices in blood transfusion management.
Quality improvement professionals initiated the planning and strategy for this transition, informed by both hospital- and patient-reported outcomes, and best practices were implemented throughout the facility as part of the newly formed Destination Center of Superior Performance. The collaborative team model blends the talents of healthcare providers with the needs of patients into a safe, seamless and consistent system of care — from pre-treatment consultations through post-op activities.
As a result, by 2012, the Institute received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total hip and total knee replacement surgery — and achieved a 73 percent reduction in blood transfusions from its historical baseline, a 186 percent increase in patients discharged to the home versus a skilled nursing or rehab facility, and a 22 percent reduction in the length of hospital stays.
